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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26363899">Hummingbird</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/WriterforFunandBoredum/pseuds/WriterforFunandBoredum'>WriterforFunandBoredum</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Owl House (Cartoon)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>AU, Amity: Personal Growth and Understanding, Edited Tags March 7 2021, F/F, Found Family, I am swamped with school stuff and Writer's block - Return near end of March, Misadventures and Discovery, The Owl House Performing Arts Troupe, Theme: Death and Life, Theme: Freedom and Control, Updates Roughly Bi-Weekly</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 06:26:51</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>51,922</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26363899</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/WriterforFunandBoredum/pseuds/WriterforFunandBoredum</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>A caged bird that tastes a sliver of freedom from its mundane life rarely returns to its prison. </p><p>Amity Blight, a studious student of Hexside, is constantly pressured to uphold the reputation of her family's noble name. With her hard work, she rises to the top of her class but only feels the hollowness of it all until one event changes it all. With a chance encounter, everything is questioned as she can now see the world through a different set of eyes and learn things that she never experienced or taught. Will she ever be the same?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Amity Blight &amp; Eda Clawthorne, Amity Blight &amp; Luz Noceda, Amity Blight &amp; Willow Park &amp; Gus Porter, Amity Blight/Luz Noceda, Luz Noceda &amp; Willow Park &amp; Gus Porter</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>148</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Flutter</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Take flight; the winds have begun to stir.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>A young girl with a stern look and aquamarine hair glanced down at the sheet of paper given to her and placed on the rickety, wooden desk. She smiles with pride.  </p>
<p>A+</p>
<p>“Congratulations, Ms. Blight! At this rate, I am sure that your parents are very proud of your astounding record,” A middle-aged, spectacled lizardman proclaimed with utmost enthusiasm. With the growing number of groans and murmurs in the classroom, the rest of her classmates must not have achieved such a feat. “Settle down now!” The lizardman turned around quickly to the rest of the class, “I am sure with the right amount of effort, you too can achieve the same grade as Ms. Blight!”</p>
<p>The young girl looked down so that her face could not be seen by others. Not out of arrogance, but out of somber acceptance. She pursed her lips and closed her eyes, one thought running rampant in her head, <em>‘I doubt that…’</em> </p>
<p>“Yes, Mr. Marco…” Announced the class, though with a distinct lack of fanfare.</p>
<p><em>RING-RING-RING</em> </p>
<p>The students immediately perked up, hearing the telltale sound of freedom resounding in the air. Many began packing their things and heading out the door before a very flustered teacher. </p>
<p>“N-Now, now, class! There is still the big assignment due at the end of this month! Make sure you have enough time to finish it!” Mr. Marco exclaimed. Some students groaned but got the message, some even staying behind to ask some questions regarding the assignment.</p>
<p>Ms. Blight was not of those students for she had a clear picture on what she had to do. As she was heading out of the class, she glanced at the plaque of the classroom out of pure habit.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Advanced Theory and Application of Abomination Summoning</strong>
</p>
<p>She released a weary sigh, “At least it’s the end of the day.” She continued down the halls of the prestigious Hexside Academy of the Boiling Isles, renowned for its ability to produce world renowned individuals who lead their fields of study. Ranging from botany to advanced illusion mechanics, it is the only school young witches want to go to pursue their craft.</p>
<p>However, with its reputation, it does tend to draw in unique individuals…</p>
<p>“Yo, Amity!” A girl yelled from behind her. </p>
<p>Amity gave a slight wince. She turned around and saw one of her <em>‘friends’</em> from her childhood. Her three eyes, magenta hair, and sports-like attire were immediate determinants to who she was.</p>
<p>“Hello, Boscha.” Amity gave a slight wave and smile and walked over to her. Amity saw her smug smile and kept her guard up, having an inkling what she wants to ask. “How was your day at school?”</p>
<p>“Oh, nothing much,” She splayed out her hand, far more concerned with her nails. “Things have been quiet for a while. We should go out and have some fun while we still have a chance,” She gave a pointed look at her. “Unless little Miss Perfect here can’t go out with us yet again?”</p>
<p>Amity hid her grimace as she did a mental tally on the number of times she was asked by Boscha to hang out with her and, by extension, her group of followers that do her every whim. Amity distinctly recalls all the times that unnerved her, all the bullying they did, all the trouble brought with them, it was astounding. She had every right to decline.</p>
<p>Yet…</p>
<p><em>‘You are a Blight’</em>. The voice of her father echoes in her mind. <em>‘You should only be friends with those that we deem to be acceptable and influential. You WILL befriend those that we choose.’</em></p>
<p>
  <em>Maybe this one time…</em>
</p>
<p>Amity threw a disarming smile at Boscha, “Sorry, but I already have a bunch of extracurriculars to do and work to catch up on? Maybe next time?”</p>
<p>“Ugh, fine.” Boscha gave a disgruntled whine and walked away. “Don’t go soft on me, Blight! We are still your friends!”</p>
<p>Once she was out of earshot, Amity gave a snort at Boscha notion of friends. <em>‘You are only friends with me because of my father, don’t forget that’</em>. She does not know if that was for Boscha or towards herself.</p>
<p>Amity quickly gathered her things from her locker and left with speed in her step to go to her first extracurricular of the day, reading with young children at the local library. Snow covers the stone city and the cold bites at the exposed face of the young Blight as she hurries.  However, it seems that fate has other ideas for her and today.</p>
<p>
  <em>CLOSED!?</em>
</p>
<p>A closed sign covers the large double doors of the gigantic stone library, large banks of snow covering the sidewalk and windows of the library.</p>
<p><em>‘I didn’t know it would be closed today, why was there no notice?’</em> She hurriedly checked her scroll to see if there were any updates but there was nothing. <em>‘Did they forget to message me?’</em> </p>
<p>She was so engrossed in checking her scroll that she did not see the figure in front of her and both crashed into one another and landed into the snow.</p>
<p>“Ow,” Said the unknown person. Amity freezes. I know this voice…. “Sorry, I didn’t- Amity!”. Amity quickly got up and immediately recognized who it was. </p>
<p>“Willow?” Barely a whisper but the green haired girl heard it all the same.</p>
<p>“Amity, it really is you!” Shock quickly gave way to suspicion, her green eyes piercing her very soul. “What are YOU doing here?” </p>
<p>Several memories of Willow and herself began to rapidly flicker through her head with a knot in her stomach twisting in sadness. She remembers all the times they had fun, all the times they did hang out together, all the -</p>
<p><em>‘You are a BLIGHT!’</em> Her fathers voice echoes loudly in her head again. She pales, already understanding what will happen if she was caught with her again. She knows what she must do.</p>
<p><em>‘I’m sorry, Willow…”</em> Amity turns and runs away quickly from her old friend, tears threatening to break out from her face. </p>
<p>“Amity, wait!” A thousand questions peppered under her outcry; Willow immediately give chase with one arm outstretched to catch her. </p>
<p>Amity, recalling all her time and practice as an ex-Grudgby captain, ran as fast as she could, bobbing and weaving through the obstacles standing in her way. She couldn’t do this to Willow. She shouldn’t.</p>
<p>
  <em>What choice do I have?</em>
</p>
<p>The buildings began to blur together as she picked up speed. The surprise of many a monster can be heard as she moves through crowds of monsters.</p>
<p>“Amity, please wait!” The distant cries of Willow can be heard amongst the crowd. “I just want to talk!”</p>
<p>Amity grits her teeth as she remembers the unheard threats when her parents spoke of Willow. All the unmentioned conclusions and danger hidden under the guise of parental advice.</p>
<p>
  <strong>What choice do you have?</strong>
</p>
<p>“Amity, please!” It sounds farther this time. “Amity!” It sounds…torn.</p>
<p>Willow can’t know, shouldn’t know what could happen. She must be strong. For herself… For her…</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <strong>Do I have a choice?</strong>
  </em>
</p>
<p>Amity quickly turned her head to check if Willow was behind her and saw nothing, but snow and shadow held within the alleyway. She breathes and lets out a sigh of relief. She slows her pace and examines the area to see where she was. On the right side of the road, oddly, the buildings here look built using old wood and a bit rundown with barely any stone occupying the houses, besides the road. On the sidewalk, streetlamps flicker and dim as the light inside must surely be dying. On the other side of road, a snow-covered forest stands tall and numerous with the soft chitter of animals being present.   </p>
<p>Worry began to take hold of her. <em>‘I… don’t recognize this place. Where am I?’</em> She quickly takes out her scroll and looks up the map of the area but with no luck. </p>
<p>“No connection!? Ugh,” She huffs at the inconvenience and stuffs her scroll into pocket. <em>‘There as to be someone here to help me get out here.’ </em></p>
<p>“Hello?” She shouts, her voice echoes amongst the empty streets. “Is anyone there? I just need some help finding my way?”  She began walking, hoping to see at least one being to help get out of here. </p>
<p>She was walking around for what felt like hours as snow began to fall steadily from the evening sky. She began to shudder from the increasing chill and checked her scroll for the time, cursing under her breath as she does so. It is late, too late to do any of her extracurriculars today. No connection either so she can’t contact anyone. </p>
<p>Gurgle</p>
<p>She holds a hand up to her stomach and winces. She is getting hungry and nothing to help in sight. </p>
<p>“Hello!” Once more with desperation creeping to her tone. “Anyone? I’m lost and would like some help!” Only her echo answers her back, haunting her every moment.</p>
<p>“DANG IT!” She kicks a nearby snowbank in anger, taking in breaths rapidly to clam her down. After a while, she slumps down, sitting with her knees up to her face and trying to hug herself with her own legs. Her only company being the falling snow and the dimming light of the lamp above her as she slowly feels the chill gnaw at her bones.</p>
<p>She lets out a withering breath, the cold turning it into a dense mist. She looks to her left. Nothing. She looks to her right. Nothing. She groans and closes her eyes.</p>
<p>
  <em>Is this how I die?</em>
</p>
<p>Flickers of her life began appearing in her mind as she tries to stay awake in the cold. Her time with Willow when they were younger. All those wasted years trying to appease her parents. Edric and Emira. </p>
<p>
  <em>Would this be better?</em>
</p>
<p>A sudden laugh resounds throughout the area. Amity bolts upwards, dazed, cold, and barely awake. With desperation fueling her mind, she runs. </p>
<p>She runs as if she sees Willow. </p>
<p>She runs as if her parents are hounding her.</p>
<p>She runs…</p>
<p>And arrives somewhere strange. She arrives at a frozen lake clearing, snow gracefully falling along the now night sky.  She blinks, and sees bright lights dance amongst the snow like stars crossing the darkened night. She was sure that the voice was around here somewhere, but…</p>
<p>She moves closer and steps onto the frozen lake with all the determination she could muster.</p>
<p>“Hello?” Her voice is carried amongst the snowfall. Her body feels numb. Nothing feels as it should.</p>
<p>“Anyone there?” Her breath begins to shudder, and her body slowly stops shivering. Her legs feel weak as she falls onto one knee.</p>
<p>“Anyone…please…” Her voice rings aloud with the timidity of a mouse. She feels a soft cloud surround her and everything around her feels so slow.</p>
<p>
  <em>‘Tired……’</em>
</p>
<p>Her vision begins to dull, and warmth enraptures her until she sees something move along.</p>
<p>A flicker within the cloak of snow. </p>
<p>A dance of shadow and light. Something glides across the ice and leaps with immense grace and poise. The light follows and illuminates the falling snow, causing them to transform into comets plunging towards the ground. </p>
<p>Amity can barely keep herself up and falls, her vision darkens and finally lets sleep take her. Just before her consciousness fades, she sees who appears. A young girl no older than she, covered in thick grey furs. The young girl moves with a purpose and approaches her downed body with a sled of some sort.</p>
<p>Amity can only catch a glimpse of the face the colour of bronze, filled with worry, and brown eyes steep with concern before the darkness claims her.</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <em>… …. she …. here…</em>
</p>
<p><em>What … … even … do with … </em> </p>
<p>
  <em>… need … bring … inside…</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>How … … world ……… here …</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Bring … … C’mon, I … … all night….</em>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>She feels it. Something warm. Something near.</p>
<p>Amity slowly opens her eyes, scrubbing out the drowsiness with her bare hands. </p>
<p>
  <em>Wait- </em>
</p>
<p>She looks at her hands and sees that her mittens were not there. She looks down to see herself and sees that she is covered in a brown blanket, patched in some areas but still relatively useful. </p>
<p><em>‘Who would do this?’</em> She tries getting up, but she winces in pain, the vestiges of cold still leaving some aches and discomfort before she just flops down in resignation. She opts to just lay there and accept that someone brought her in?</p>
<p>Her pointed ears feel warm as she starts to slowly remember what happened. The laugh. The radiant snow. The figure’s face…</p>
<p>“I see your finally awake.” Amity jumps in surprise as a new voice announces their presence. Immediately, she can hear the rapid thumping of footsteps. “Hey there, kiddo. Don’t push herself.” She turns around and sees a mug filled with a dark brown liquid pushed unto her face. “Drink up, kid. You have been out there for too long and you’re lucky we’ve found you.” Amity takes the cup and looks up towards the voice.</p>
<p>She sees a face that looks slightly familiar to her. It is a woman clothed in a purple sweater and blue pajamas with her pale skin standing in contrast to her bright attire. Her golden eyes shine with curiosity, concern, and mischievousness and her hair being different shades of grey. </p>
<p>She sits down at the massive cushioned sofa near the fireplace and gives a toothy smile. “Well, are you going to drink up or what? It’s going to get cold otherwise.” Amity, with some hesitation, takes a small sip of the dark brown liquid and immediately perks up. She quickly takes another, longer drink as she savors the lingering taste of sweetness.</p>
<p>The lady gives a quick snort of laughter. “Like it? Its something called hot chocolate and I can’t just stop drinking it for the life of me.” Amity lets out a small giggle at the lady’s antics but quickly recomposes herself, she doesn’t know who this person is. If the lady notices the quick stop, she doesn’t comment. “So, mind telling me why you happened to be walking across the frozen lake?” The lady asks with a keen look; not judging but curious.</p>
<p>Amity takes a moment to compose herself, contemplating if she should be honest to this stranger. “I…I was just trying to get home.” The lady raises an eyebrow. “I got lost and I couldn’t get a signal with my scroll, so I tried finding anyone to help me, but no one was there. I just kind of gave up before I heard someone and I just kind of…followed…it.” Amity looks away in embarrassment as she realized what could have happened.</p>
<p>“So,” A snort. “You’re telling me that you just followed a voice in the middle of nowhere and decided it might be someone helpful? Hah!” She turns to see the lady laughing with her arms hugging her stomach. Amity shrinks at the laughter and doesn’t look at the lady, knowing that it was a kind-of stupid decision.</p>
<p>The lady slowly stops laughing and Amity looks back to see a slightly apologetic face. “Sorry about that, kid. Couldn’t help myself. Let’s start over.” The lady gets up from her spot, walks over to her, and crouches down with her hand extended. “Names Eda, the Owl Lady. And you are?” </p>
<p>Amity gulps and takes her hand, shaking it lightly. “My name is Amity Blight. Thank you for helping me.” </p>
<p>A flicker of recognition races across Eda’s face. “Blight? Wait, are you-“</p>
<p>
  <strong>THUD</strong>
</p>
<p>The two of them turned towards the sound and Eda gives a knowing smile. “Brace yourself, kid.”</p>
<p>Amity gave a confused glance towards her before something immediately dashed into the room, a coat and boots flying off and landing on the ground with an unceremonious thud. She sees a person shaped ball of energy crash into Eda and with a slight stumble, got a hold of the slightly disgruntled lady. Eda’s body was turned away from Amity so she could not see who came in but she could definitely hear the excited voice.</p>
<p>“Eda, Eda, Eda! I haven’t been gone for too long have I? I did what you asked and brought back some wood and herbs,” The voice shot out like rapid fire and Amity could barely keep up.</p>
<p>“Luz-”</p>
<p>“Oh, is King anywhere? I tried looking for him on the way back, but I didn’t see. I hope he doesn’t become a snowman like last time.”</p>
<p>“Luz-”</p>
<p>“AH, <em>Dios mio!</em> I totally forgot. What about the girl we found on the frozen lake? Is she going to be okay? Is she still breathing? Does her parents know that their daughter just happened to just show up in this part of town without any warning and didn’t get abducted by some type of -"</p>
<p>“LUZ!” Eda cried out, causing the voice to stop. The lady turned and raised a pointed finger at the confused Amity. Amity can now see that the new arrival was a girl with brown hair and brown skin. Brown eyes meets gold and Amity realizes that this was the one who found her.</p>
<p>“Ah!” Amity flinches when the girl known as Luz immediately rushes up to her, causing Amity to shift back a bit. “Are you okay? Why were in the snow? How did you get here?” Amity can barely keep up before a hand grabs the girl and puts her back a bit.</p>
<p>“Easy, Luz, she just woke up. Give her some space.” Eda sternly told the now sorry girl. </p>
<p>“Sorry, Eda. I just got too excited.” She rubbed her neck in embarrassment. She turned towards Amity, “So, stranger, what’s your name?”</p>
<p>Amity fiddles with her fingers to calm her nerves, “My name is Amity.”</p>
<p>“Oh, cool!” The girl’s eyes shine with joy. “That is such a cool name. My name is Luz Noceda and you have such cool looking hair, like my favourite character from my book!”</p>
<p>Amity feels heat creep into her ears, “T-Thank you.” She tries to look away, but Amity seems drawn to Luz’s infectious attitude. She quickly clears her throat to refocus, “Can you tell me where am I? I need to head home.”</p>
<p>Luz and Eda share a look before Eda pipes up, “Well for starters, you are outside the main city and signal tends to be a tad scuff out here. That’s why your scroll couldn’t reach anyone.” She walks over to the curtains and pulls on it to reveal a dark night, the wind howling with snow pelting the window. “And two, the storm is a big one and you don’t want to go through that without the right gear. Hate to say it but you may have to stay the night.”</p>
<p>Amity deflates a bit and casts a downward glance, “Oh, okay…” She immediately thinks of what everyone must be thinking and if they were worried.</p>
<p>“Ah, don’t be so sad,” Amity looks up and sees Luz with a cheeky grin with a glint in her eye. “We’ll keep you company, so you won’t feel lonely. You’ll love it here because,” Luz jumps in with a bright smile on her face. </p>
<p>“You are now in the world-famous centre of the magical and the material!” Luz announces with one arm raised to the ceiling, the fire illuminating her figure. </p>
<p>“Where magic meets showmanship!” Eda declares with a twirl and the casting of magic to bring about tiny fireworks to blast to life behind her. </p>
<p>With a mighty cry, both Luz and Eda jump and strike an illustrious pose, magic highlighting the two figures. The shout with a mighty cry, “THE OWL HOUSE!”</p>
<p>Amity lets out a small giggle that turns into genuine laughter as she can’t help but enjoy the antics of these two. Both Luz and Eda were constantly trying to one-up one another as they did several routines to entertain their guest. </p>
<p>Amity takes one last drink of her ‘Hot Chocolate’ and places the empty mug beside her, laying down with her left arm resting on her cheek and looking at the antics of the two performers. </p>
<p>She lets out one last breathy laugh at the antics before she suddenly feels fatigue take over her body. She lets out a yawn before her eyes slowly close, a smile adorns her face as she thinks one thing before she sleeps.</p>
<p>
  <em>I like this…</em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hello there! I hope you enjoyed the fic. This was my first fic from a while so criticize away.</p>
<p>Update: Nov 29, 2020</p>
<p>For an upload schedule, I will be updating this story bi-weekly, the once every two weeks version. I hope you enjoy the story!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Nest</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Every being needs a place to rest, no matter how unknown or weird it could lead.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>So, uh, wow. I did not expect that many people want to read this but, hey, thank you all for enjoying the fanfic! Fair warning, updates may be sporadic because of school but please, enjoy the read!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>Remember, darling, you are a part of this family and we expect you to behave and do as we tell you.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Now come along now. A proper lady must be early to rise to do what is needed.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Amity WAKE UP!</em>
</p>
<p>Amity’s eyes shoot open and immediately sits up, breathing heavily and her heart racing from the dream. She places a hand on her chest as she tries to steady herself, her head blaring with the voices of both her parents. </p>
<p><em>‘You need to breathe, Amity,’</em> She reassures herself, struggling to keep her breathing even. <em>‘Just…breathe.’</em> The constant rhythm slowly, but surely, calmed herself, allowing her to comprehend where she was.</p>
<p>She looks around and immediately winces in discomfort. From a small crack from the curtained window reveals the orange glow of the morning sun illuminating her face. She covers her eyes with one of her sore arms and pauses, surprise adorning her face. She wasn’t in front of the fireplace. She looks down and sees herself resting on the same sofa that the grey-haired lady sat on the night before. </p>
<p>“Eda,” Amity says softly, barely a whisper. “Her name is Eda.” It would be unbecoming of her to forget the name of someone she just met, even more so when one was so generous. She tries moving off the sofa before her legs hit something rather soft. </p>
<p>“Nyeh…Stop…” A sleepy voice complained. Amity looks down to see in front of the sofa a curled-up creature with black fur and a bleached skull adorning its face. Two horns protrude from the skull, one chipped in half and one full horn, and eyes lidded with exhaustion. “This…is my…. resting spot…. Go away….” The creature goes back to snoring soundly and Amity gives a slight giggle at its antics. She maneuvers herself to avoid the funny creature and moves towards the exit, all the while observing the interior of what she assumes is the living room.   </p>
<p>If one word were to describe the room, it would be “cozy”. The soft orange and red colour of the sofa is balanced with the mahogany brown of the wooden wall. Hugging the wall was a bookshelf littered with several would be knickknacks and the odd book with the curtained windows overlooking the sofa. The wooden floor was topped with a woolen, grey rug, aged and worn, but still comfy to those who tread.</p>
<p>Then there was the fireplace.</p>
<p>Amity did not know why but she approached the now empty fireplace, the wood charred and ash aplenty being the only evidence of the roaring fire of last night. She crouched down and placed both her hands in front of her, imagining the warmness that saved her from the unrelenting cold. </p>
<p>She then stood up and found herself looking at gigantic banner adorned above the fireplace proudly. It was an advertisement poster of some-kind, rips and tears littered around the edges. It shows a bowing lady clothed in a gaudy suit the colour of maroon and an owl mask hanging around her neck. In one of her hands, a brown staff, and in the other, a magic circle prepped for anything. Beside her stood a smaller but more energetic girlish figure with a similar suit but in blue and a top hat completing the ensemble. This figure was much more expressive, holding her arms and hands in a <em>TA – DA</em> like fashion. It looks like it was covering something.</p>
<p>But that was not what draws her attention.</p>
<p>What catches her eye is a single, cracked wooden picture frame that rests peacefully on the protruding shelf of the chimney piece of the fireplace. What she sees are three figures, two she can instantly recognize as the two who found her as Eda and Luz. Both Eda and Luz were younger, with Luz lacking some height, and they both were caught mid-laugh. They looked like there were having fun and pointing at something away from the picture.  </p>
<p>The third one, however, caused Amity to pause. The third one was a woman wearing red framed glasses and garbed in a loose-fitting blue t-shirt and fuzzy purple pajamas. Her skin was a hazel-brown with her eyes being brown as well. Between the three of them, she holds herself differently to the other two who were goofing around. She looked stern but the way that her eyes looked towards Luz could only be explained as…loving. She had her arms crossed and body straight, but there was a smile, a compassionate smile, that made Amity feel warm. </p>
<p>
  <em>‘Just who is she?’</em>
</p>
<p>A delicious smell wafts in the air and all thoughts turned towards the distinct rumbling in Amity’s stomach, face in a grimace as she now feels positively famished. All thoughts about this mysterious woman are cast aside in favor of eating whatever is causing this aroma. </p>
<p>She heads out the living room and enters a narrow hallway and into what she can presume to be the kitchen and steps in and almost immediately takes a step back, face strewn in disbelief. The kitchen is an utter disaster! Baskets of fruits laid strewn about the floor. Dirtied pots and pans stacked high within the sink. Even the cupboards were sprawled open, plates and bowls threatening to spill out into the stone floor. The dining table was the only thing spared from the clutter as four plates lay neatly upon the patchy tablecloth. </p>
<p><em>‘They really need to clean this place.’</em> Amity thinks flatly, unaccustomed to such a shear disregard for cleanliness. She gently moves a basket blocking her way and walks further into the kitchen and was promptly welcomed with the same scent of fruit and spices. She turns towards the scent and was promptly met with a flying projectile aiming for her face. She briefly ducked, barely missing the edges of her hair, and stood back up to give whoever this is a piece of her mind before she stops. </p>
<p>She sees Luz by herself on the stove, eyes closed and humming along to whatever song that is playing in her head. She is dressed in a blue sweater, fuzzy looking pajama pants with a messy apron going down to her legs.  In her hands was a bowl filled with some type of pale mixture and she was busy pouring some of it into a pan to fry on the stove top. Beside the pan lies a plate stacked high with something delicious looking and Amity’s stomach could not help but do a distinct <em>gurgle</em>.</p>
<p>Luz was snapped out of her reverie and looks at her, excitement and radiant joy building up in her face. With a playful smile, she put the bowl down counter and practically launches herself at Amity with her arms outstretched.</p>
<p>“L-Luz!” Amity barely manages to get her words out before she is captured in the girl’s arms and spun around like some doll. “What are you doing?” Amity can feel her face flush in embarrassment and the tips of her ears feel like fire. She tries to squirm of her grip, but it felt like getting out of solid steel.</p>
<p>“Good morning, Amity!” Luz says with a slight giddiness. “I’m glad you’re awake. I thought you would sleep like a rock with everything that happened yesterday but, hey,” She lets go of Amity, pumping her arms up in excitement, “You’re here! I hope you don’t mind me making breakfast. I figured that you should take it easy.”</p>
<p>Amity smiles at the sentiment, “Thank you, Luz. It is much appreciated.” She smiles kindly at Luz but looks at the food, a question on her tongue, “What is it exactly?” She raises an eyebrow at the unique, disc shape food and an assortment of fruits at the side.</p>
<p>“I am so glad you asked!” Luz basically pushes her to one of the seats at the kitchen table, causing Amity to be flustered from such indignation. She then sees Luz coming over with the over-filled plate and with as much grace as a sledgehammer, placed it at the center of the table, causing the food tower to spillover. Somehow, the food was evenly distributed on each of the four plates, sticky syrup was poured over each stack, courtesy of an excited Luz.</p>
<p>“I present to you,” Luz enthusiastically proclaims, shaking her hands for effect, “Pancakes!”</p>
<p>“Pan…cakes?” Amity was confused at the weird food at poked it with her fork. With caution, she took a piece and ate it, slowly chewing on it to savor the flavor. Her eyes widened, the sweetness and tastiness of these <em>‘pancakes’</em> were simply astounding to the refined palette of Amity.  </p>
<p>“So…” Amity looks over at Luz and sees an expecting albeit smug face, “Do you like it?” </p>
<p>Amity’s continual eating of these pancakes was all the answer she needed. </p>
<p>“Aw, thank you! Its so nice that someone else appreciates human food and all. I thought I messed up.”</p>
<p>That snaps Amity from her eating bliss, <em>‘Wait, human?’</em>. She eyes Luz critically, the morning haze no longer affecting her, and looks at her. She looks up and down to see if she was no different to the denizens of the isles, but she sees the one, tell-tale sign. Her ears.</p>
<p>“You’re a human!” Amity squawks out in surprise, pointing at her round ears. Luz flushes in embarrassment and grabs one of her own ears, rubbing it to ease the bubbling awkwardness in her.</p>
<p>“U-Uh,” Luz stutters, “Yeah, I’m human. Ta-da?” She exclaims weakly. The curious gaze of one Amity is burning into Luz’s soul and she does not know how to deal with this.</p>
<p>“How in the Titan’s name is a human on the isles?” Amity mutters quietly to herself. There is no way that this would have been kept quiet. This was HUGE! The entire isle or at least Hexside Academy would have exploded from the mere fact that a human was here and, if last night was true, was practicing <strong>magic!</strong>       </p>
<p>“Uh, Amity, you’re getting a bit too close. Amity?” Amity snaps out from her stupor and sees that she was leaning from her seat and into Luz’s red face, no doubt from embarrassment. Amity quickly retreats and keeps her attention to her pancakes. </p>
<p>“Sorry, Luz. I was just surprised,” Amity proclaims, “Its just I’ve only heard of Humans through stories and rumors. I didn’t think they were true!”</p>
<p>“Its no big deal. I can understand. Seeing something straight out of stories come to real life can be jarring for anyone. I for sure was.” Luz finally takes a seat in front of her and joins Amity in eating their pancakes.</p>
<p>Amity and Luz settled into a comfortable silence, none dared to disturb each other after the earlier fiasco. It was not until a great yawn was heard behind them that disturbed the silence; a disheveled Eda, a mug of spiced apple blood in hand, plopped down beside Luz and began munching on the served food. </p>
<p>“Morning, Luz. Morning, Amity.” Eda tiredly grumbles, eating great amounts and drinking large gulps of apple blood. </p>
<p>“Morning. / Morning!” They both chimed.</p>
<p>“So, kid,” Eda gave a pondering look at Amity, “Did you have a nice sleep? You knocked yourself out in one of our big showstoppers and Luz here was worried that you gotten yourself sick or something.”</p>
<p>“Oh,” Amity gave a sheepish smile, “I had a great sleep actually,” <em>Except for the last part of it….</em> “And don’t worry, I feel fine.” She finishes her plate, gets out of her chair, and bowed towards them, “Thank you for your hospitality. I hope I can repay you for all of this.”</p>
<p>Eda gave out a snort of laughter, “You don’t need to bow, kid. We’re just glad that you made it out of it okay. Although,” Eda gave a playful nudge at Luz, a mischievous smirk on her face, “Luz here could use take some lessons from you-” “Hey!” “She could really use it.”</p>
<p>“Speaking of lessons,” The inquisitive tone of Amity drew back the attention of Eda and Luz, already having an idea what she may ask, “I’ve heard all my life that humans did not know magic but before I went to sleep, I swear I saw you,” Amity points at Luz, “Do magic! Those bright lights, those circling flames, just how did you do it?”</p>
<p>“Oh, I’ll show you! Here,” A very excited Luz hastily brought out a pencil from one of her pockets and ripped a piece of the tablecloth with her hands. She quickly drew something and showed it to Amity. </p>
<p>“What is it?” Asked Amity, clearly confused at the several shapes conjoined into the piece of paper. </p>
<p>“It’s a glyph,” Answered Luz. “And when I touch it…” Luz taps the piece of paper and Amity was astonished as the paper crumpled and emitted light, hovering like a tiny firefly in the air.</p>
<p>“Wow….” Amity tries to cup it in her hand, but the light was too quick, snuffing itself out before long. “How did you-” </p>
<p>“Do that?” Eda interrupts, “Simple really. Luz here was stubborn enough to learn magic that she decided to hound me to do it. So,” Eda ruffles a bit of Luz’s hair, getting an affectionate laugh out of her, “I showed her a couple of things and she found these things in the middle of the magic circles I used. The rest is history.”</p>
<p>“Don’t forget I help out with the job too!” Luz adds that just screams the need for recognition.</p>
<p>Eda only laughs, realizing what she wants, “Yes, Luz, I know.” She turns her attention to Amity, “Luz decided that I could use some help with performing around the isles and things haven’t been better.” </p>
<p>“Incredible.” Amity could hardly believe it all.</p>
<p>“You know it.” Eda states. Something flashes in her eyes and gives a sly smile, “Say, Amity, I think I know what you can repay us with.”</p>
<p>“Oh, what is it?” Amity sits down and mentally winces, thinking it was something involving snails. That would be an interesting discussion with the parents.</p>
<p>Amity is shattered from her thoughts when Eda slides back and flips off her chair with her legs, doing several backflips in the air before landing at a nearby countertop. Plates and leftover bags of food shudder from the movement, threatening to spill over. Luz, quickly realizing what Eda is going for, slaps down an unknown glyph and falls through the floor, quickly reappearing at Eda’s side.</p>
<p>“A performance!” They shout at the same time. Amity smiles at the antics, ever so slightly grateful for the need for the overdramatic. </p>
<p>“Y’know, kid” Eda does a flip off the table and lands gracefully on the floor, “You still have to see a performance before you leave here. It would be a mistake if you left before seeing a full performance of the acclaimed Owl House Troupe!”</p>
<p>“Yeah, Amity,” Luz rushes at her and grabs her hands, smiling and bouncing in ill-contained excitement, “You HAVE to see one our acts. It would make your day!” </p>
<p>After all this fanfare? It would be a travesty not to see. “Alright, alright. I’ll watch”.</p>
<p>“And I’ll pass.” A grouchy voice exclaimed. Amity turns to see the creature that she hit by the sofa enter the kitchen and munch down on the last platter of pancakes, drowsiness still in its eyes. “I’ve seen enough to last me a lifetime” The creature says in-between bites.</p>
<p>“King,’ Luz exasperatedly shouts. “Don’t be so rude! You know you love it.”</p>
<p>“You know what I love?” The creature named King asks, “These pancakes you made! You haven’t made these in ages!” King keeps on chowing down on his stack before letting out a satisfied sigh.</p>
<p>“I’m going back to nap.” King says, heading upstairs rather than entering the sofa, as if knowing what will happen. “And when I awaken, I shall have enough power to rule this realm!”</p>
<p>“Sure, you little munchkin. Have a nice nap!”</p>
<p>“A king requires no pleasantries but thank you, Luz!” With a thumping of footsteps getting softer and softer, Luz turns Amity and give a sheepish smile at her.</p>
<p>“Sorry about that, he tends to be a bit grouchy when he doesn’t get his nap time in.”</p>
<p>“Don’t worry, I understand completely.” Amity thinks back at all the times she, herself, was interrupted in the morning by the actions by her older siblings. All the yelling and screaming. The teasing and ingratiating things they do to her throughout their day.  </p>
<p>
  <em>Emira…. Edric….</em>
</p>
<p>The memories of her siblings flood her mind and she felt herself catching her breath. She remembers all the times they played pranks on her, all the times they annoyed her, even stooping as low as reading her diary at times! She remembers it all.</p>
<p>Even the smiles. The secrets shared between them. The memories made.</p>
<p>It was all coming back rapidly.</p>
<p>And it was all too much.</p>
<p>“Amity?” Someone says with worry inlaid with concern. Amity snaps out of her trance and realizes that she was barely able to stand. She feels something warm and wet in her eyes and brushes it off with her sleeve, the realized tears staining her sleeve. “Are you okay?” The voice repeats. She turns and sees Luz staring into her, probing and analyzing every single movement of hers. </p>
<p>“Y-Yeah.” Her voice cracks. She tries to refocus and find balance in herself. “Yeah.” She repeats firmly, “I’m fine.” She sees Luz recede back and calm down. </p>
<p>
  <em>No weakness. No sign of hesitation.</em>
</p>
<p>She glances at the eerily silent Eda. Tall, proud, and gone was the goofiness of before. Eda’s face was blank, betraying no emotion. Her eyes were boring right into Amity. She can feel her skin crawl.</p>
<p>“SO,” Luz cuts the moment like a knife, “How about we go perform in the living room? That should cheer you right up, right, Eda?”</p>
<p>“Hmm?” That gets Eda’s attention. “Oh, yeah, to the living room!” </p>
<p>“Yeah!” Luz cheers.</p>
<p>“Also, Luz, you can wear the storyteller costume.”</p>
<p>Amity can see Luz’s eyes widen and she sprints into an unknown room, the noise of clutter following suit.</p>
<p>“C’mon, kid.” She sees Eda walk up to her and gesture towards the living room, “The show is about to start. Then we can bring you home.”</p>
<p>Amity could only smile but her thoughts swirl with unspoken questions.</p>
<hr/>
<p>“Ladies and Gentlemen! Welcome to a special, one-time event by the Owl House troupe!” That was definitely Luz. However, her costume on her just seems so over the top but well fitting. She is wearing a blue and white checkered cape with a tailcoat down her legs. A tailored vest with an owl embroidery was worn on her chest while on her face lies a wide-brimmed purple hat. </p>
<p>“Tonight,” Starts Eda, a red dress tapered near the end. She twirls the brown staff she has in hand and summons forth a bright fire, illuminating everyone’s faces. “We shall tell the tale of the Titan and The Thief.”</p>
<p>Amity gives a playful gasp. She heard of the story as a child, but she is excited to see how this would go. </p>
<p>“One day,” Starts Luz, “There was the Titan, king and maker of the isles.” She claps her hands together and summons a bright fire. It slowly takes form into a tall figure almost reaching the ceiling, radiating both warmth and authority. “It is told he traveled far and wide across the isles, seeking to rule anything he sees.” The fire shifted, the Titan now sitting on a mighty throne.</p>
<p>“However, the right to rule is rarely retrieved through the weight of one being. There <strong>must</strong> be a price” The embodiments of swords and flags began to rise out of the subdued flame, catching the eye of the entranced Amity. </p>
<p>“Others seek to claim his almighty rule. Through force of arms or through the manipulations of those he thought close.” The apparitions charge at the Titan and Amity swears she can hear the mighty cry of war and magic, but with a mighty sweep of the Titan, they were snuffed out. A cycle repeats, apparitions rise from the fire and charge at the titan, only to be snuffed out yet again.  </p>
<p>Amity is in complete awe of the spectacle. She can hear the cries of anguish, the fanfare of the people, the utter silence in the theater that is her own mind.</p>
<p>“However,” Eda waves her staff, a somber cloud of blue weaves around the Titan. “The Titan, in all its glory, grew tired of the senseless carnage and meaningless rule.” The bright glow of the Titan grew evermore dim as the cloud now surrounds its entire form. The fire shifted once more.</p>
<p>“The Titan began to travel once more. Not for war. Not for dominance. But for peace.” Luz places down a glyph and a lush meadow grew on the floor, reaching the sofa and tickling the young Blight. The fiery titan lays down amongst the growing flowers and seems to stare far onward at some unseen thing. “A chance to rest his soul from what he has done.” </p>
<p>At this point, Amity feels sympathy for a being long since past. She even can hear herself rooting for the Titan.</p>
<p>“Until one day,” A might gout of green fire, courtesy of Eda, erupts near the Titan. Amity holds her breath as the fire slowly unveils in a dance of sparks a thin figure cloaked in ice. A witch. “Someone finds him from his resting place.”</p>
<p><strong>‘Oh, almighty Titan, I beg of you, help me in my time of need!’</strong> Announces the witch, laying on the ground and groveling under the massive presence of the titan.</p>
<p><strong>‘Why must I listen to whom disturbs my rest?’</strong> Booms the titan, the faceless entity turns to the figure and one could feel the animosity leaking from the titan. <strong>‘LEAVE AT ONCE!’</strong></p>
<p><strong>‘Please, oh blessed Titan! If you help me, I can direct you to what you seek!’</strong> The witch continues, hands raised in complete surrender. </p>
<p>A beat passes. </p>
<p>Another. </p>
<p><strong>‘Very well,’</strong> The titan gently scoops the witch with his hand and brings it to his face, the steam descending across his very being. <strong>‘What is thy request!’</strong></p>
<p><strong>‘Thank you, oh great Titan.’</strong> The witch stands firm, <strong>‘I request the power to save the people from their own misery, their own folly! Please help me, Titan, and I can grant you what you seek, peace’</strong></p>
<p>The fire grew colder, the meadow stills in the wind, and the titan stirs.</p>
<p>
  <strong>‘Very well’</strong>
</p>
<p>“And with a touch of his hand,” Luz proclaims, “The stranger was gifted the might of the Titan himself and vowed to return with what the Titan seeks.”</p>
<p>“However,” Eda grimly declares, the scene changing to a room filled room covered in shadow and ominous mists. “It was not meant to be.” A figure covered in ice entered through the throne, hollow laughter echoing in the hall. “The witch was filled with half-truths, misusing the given power to destroy what they thought as dangerous and wrought destruction far greater than any being.”</p>
<p>“Finally,” The scene shifted, “The witch’s hubris brought him back to the Titan’s Meadow”.</p>
<p><strong>‘TITAN!’</strong> The figure proudly struts into meadow and the gigantic shape of the Titan manifests from the fire. <strong>‘I have returned!’</strong></p>
<p><strong>‘So it seems’</strong> The titan brings his hand and scoops the witch up, bringing them up to his face. <strong>‘Have you returned with what I seek?’</strong></p>
<p><strong>‘Yes, I have’</strong> The witch raises their hand, <strong>Look.</strong>. Amity closes her hands, knowing what happens next. </p>
<p>A bright flash.</p>
<p>A resounding <em>crash</em>. </p>
<p>A great gust.             </p>
<p>She opens her eyes and sees the witch sculpted from ice laughing atop a great mound. Laughing atop the still flame of the Titan. </p>
<p>The figure laughs and laughs and laughs, complete in its victory. Until…</p>
<p>The figure clutches it’s chest, the ice cracking around its heart. What seems like cries of victory turn into complete anguish as their eyes glows <strong>red</strong>.</p>
<p>“The witch forgets one of the simplest rules of our time,” Luz somberly narrates.</p>
<p>
  <strong>What can be given can be taken away. </strong>
</p>
<p>The witch flails, as if possessed by some unknown spirit. The ice deepens in it’s cracks. The eyes grow brighter. An unheard scream echoes. </p>
<p>The ice shatters. </p>
<p>A jagged hole erupts from the witch’s chest, and the witch shatters. A cascade of ice and snow descends across the now blackened meadow.</p>
<p>“They say that every witch of the isles heard the cries of the usurper. It cut into their minds, their very soul. They could not ignore it.” With a wave of her hand, Eda changes the scene into a familiar council, a roundtable filled to the brim with witches. “They came together and vowed to never have such an event happen again.”</p>
<p>“So says the Tale of the Titan and The Thief”. Luz and Eda clap their hands and snuff the magic out, leaving a stunned Amity in her seat.</p>
<p>“So…,” Luz asks tentatively, “What did you think?”</p>
<p>“THAT WAS AMAZING!” Amity leapt out of her seat and gave a resounding applause. “I have never seen anything like that! How come I never heard of all this before?!”</p>
<p>“We like to keep it local,” Replies Eda. “Speaking of local, we do need to get you home, that alright, Amity?”</p>
<p>She clams up a bit before speaking, “Y-Yeah, that should be fine…”.</p>
<p>“Aw, don’t be sad.” Luz came over, gaudy outfit and all and did what Luz refers to as a ‘hug’. “It was fun having you here. Maybe you can come over from time to time, right Eda?”</p>
<p>Eda gives a nod, “Heck, she has my blessing. Just make sure you keep place a secret, you here? Rabid fans and all that.”  </p>
<p>Amity feels a certain warmth go through her body and gives Eda a bright smile, “Yes, Eda. I won’t betray this!”</p>
<p>That takes Eda aback and she opens her mouth to say something but wisely closes it. She turns swiftly to the door, using a magic circle to change her wardrobe into a wool coat and fuzzy hat. </p>
<p>“C’mon now, Amity, we don’t have all day!” Eda shoos Amity and gives her old coat and a fuzzy shirt that was definitely not hers. “Hurry and get dressed before we all split hairs.” </p>
<hr/>
<p>It took a while before they leave but Amity is determined and anxious to return back to the main city. Amity and Eda were soaring high with Eda’s magic staff, traversing through the blue sky and puffy clouds. She could feel the wisps of the clouds tickle her legs and latches onto Eda closer, afraid that if she lets go that everything will be for naught. </p>
<p>She feels the scroll in her bag vibrate like a rapid chime. No doubt the messages that she missed when she was in the area. She was close. She squeezes unto Eda tighter. </p>
<p>“Don’t worry, kid, I’ll get you home safely. I promised Luz after all.” Eda reassures but there was something in her voice that caused Amity to look up at her. Amity may only see the back of her head, but she can see the thin line of a pursed lip. </p>
<p>“Eda, is something wrong.” Inquires Amity. Something is amiss. </p>
<p>“I know who you are, <em>Blight</em>.” That brought Amity her full attention. Blight. The way she says it echoes in her mind. There was something unsaid into it. Animosity? Fear? Guilt? She can’t tell. All she knows is that she is at the mercy to Eda.</p>
<p>“I know what your parents have done on the isle. What they’ve did to other people.” Amity couldn’t breathe. This couldn’t be happening. </p>
<p>“I know what they can and will do to those who stand in their way. What they’ve taught to others.” She feels tears well up in her eyes, the grip on Eda weakening.</p>
<p>“You’re not like them, Amity.” Amity is shocked out of her spiral and looks at Eda, she can see that Eda tilted her head to see her and gives off a reassuring smile. “At least, I hope your not.”</p>
<p>“I’ve watched you, kid. From the moment that you woke up and talked to you last night, to the moments you’ve had with Luz this morning.” Eda faces forward, focusing onto the unending sky. </p>
<p>“You’re a good kid, Amity. Don’t let me down”. Amity couldn’t believe it. She tries to say something, but she couldn’t get the words out.</p>
<p>“Also, take this with you, okay?” Eda expertly places something in her hands and she clutches it, feeling the solid nature of the item. Amity pulls back her hand and opens it, seeing a talisman in the shape of an owl’s head, “Think of it like a good luck charm. This should allow you to come back to the Owl House safely but let’s keep it our little secret, okay?” </p>
<p>She takes a page from Luz and gives Eda a <em>‘hug’</em>, conveying every emotion left unsaid. </p>
<hr/>
<p>The last the ride was in a comfortable silence and before Amity knew it, she was at the outskirts of the Blight manor, albeit near the forests that border the nearby city. Amity and Eda touch down and Eda gives Amity’s hair a ruffle, much to the chagrin to the young child.</p>
<p>“Time to move, kid,” Eda gives Amity slight push, “You got people waiting for you and I got people waiting for me back home.”</p>
<p>Amity gives Eda another hug, “Thank you, Eda.” She let’s go and turns towards the manor but is reminded of one thing nagging in her mind.</p>
<p>The woman in the photo.</p>
<p>“Eda?”</p>
<p>“Yeah?”</p>
<p>Amity clenches her fists and looks at Eda determined, “May I ask you one question.”</p>
<p>“Shoot, kid.” Eda rests herself on her staff. “You’ve earned that much.”</p>
<p>She summons up her confidence, “At your house, I found a photo near the fireplace. It had you, Luz, and someone else. I was just curious, just was she as I don’t think I was introduced to her at the house.” </p>
<p>She immediately regrets her words once she let’s them all out. Eda’s face slowly morphs into guilt, the light in her eyes dimming as she grips her staff, shaking. </p>
<p>“I’m sorry,” Amity turns away from Eda, “I shouldn’t have-”</p>
<p>“Kid,” Amity pauses and turns to see Eda downcast, her eyes glazed in memory. “That is not my story to tell. Just know that she was one of my greatest lights of my life. Especially for Luz.”</p>
<p><em>Was</em> The word echoes in Amity's mind.</p>
<p>Amity, sensing something wrong, looked apologetic and immediately tried to make it up, “I’m sorry, Eda. I didn’t know.”</p>
<p>“Not your fault, kid.” Eda sniffed and wiped her eyes with her sleeve. Her smile turned playful, but her eyes betrayed her true emotion, sadness. “Now get going. Visit often too or Luz might give me a hissy fit.”    </p>
<p>Amity gave a laugh for both their expenses at left Eda on her own, wondering even more now who this woman was. She continues through the woods and is left to ponder the ever-growing mystery that is the Owl House.</p>
<p>But that could wait for now, though.</p>
<p>“Hurry up, Edric, I thought I heard her somewhere around here.” A familiar, yet hysterical, voice resounded through the forest. Desperation clung to the voice as if they heard a fleeting ghost.</p>
<p>“Wait up, Emira!” Another familiar voice answered back. “We already checked high and low here yesterday. You sure you weren’t hearing things?”</p>
<p>“I know I heard her!” Snaps back Emira, anger leaking into her voice. “She is around here somewhere!” Emira, in exhausted fury, scrambles to look through every nook and cranny of the area. No stone, tree, or glade were left untouched to the wrath of Emira Blight. The only thing that stopped her rampage was through her brother, Edric. </p>
<p>“Let me go, Edric! I need to find her!” Kicking and screaming to dislodge herself from Edric’s stubborn hold.</p>
<p>“Me too, Em, but its been over a day and you’ve been at this since last night! You need rest.” Edric comforts the quickly deteriorating form of Emira.</p>
<p>Emira quietly sobs, “I want her back, Ed.”</p>
<p>“I just want her back…” </p>
<p>The hum of both their scrolls resound in unison and Edric grumbles, probably their parents ordering them to go home. Edric takes out his scroll, looks at the latest message and turns shock still.</p>
<p>“Who is it, Edric?” Asks Emira. Silence. That never happens with him. She quickly looks at her own scroll to see what happens and lets out an audible gasp.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Mittens: Look behind you.</strong>
</p>
<p>They both slowly turn around and see a surreal dream made real: Amity Blight in full health and untouched, radiating with happiness and joy. </p>
<p>A step forward.</p>
<p>A second.</p>
<p>“AMITY!” The two immediately crash into Amity, tumbling into the dirt and getting grass all over them. They didn’t care. The trio laughed and cried as the three siblings reunited after what felt like ages. Amity gave them the strongest hugs she could muster and Edric and Emira were not letting go, thinking that if they let go, she would disappear.</p>
<p>They didn’t care if she was gone for more than a day.</p>
<p>They only cared that she was <strong>home</strong>.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thank you all for reading the second chapter! I might have let myself go ham at this so it might not be as good. Anyways, leave feedback and stuff if you want and have a nice day!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Reflection</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Mirror mirror on the wall, who's the most foolish of them all?</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>So, uh, welcome back to the next chapter. Thank you for the kudos and comments because they are much appreciated. This chapter took way too long because my brain decided to go ham and make me type basically 9000 words for this chapter. Well, that and school. Anyways, I hope you guys enjoy my hard work!</p>
<p>Fair warning, this chapter is goes a bit hard on dialogue so it might not be your cup of tea. I will also be editing the tags to better reflect the story that I have planned/spontaneously created.</p>
<p>Also, I've noticed that I have been increasing the chapter length for each chapter. Maybe if we're in like chapter 10 we'll have a chapter like 20, 000 words long. Now that would be exhausting.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Piercing gold eyes open and were greeted to the novel sight of her own refuge of the infamous Blight manor. Amity Blight, dressed in a comfortable pink nightgown provided by her mother, awakens from her slumber, and sits up from her bed far too big for any other person. </p>
<p>She rubs her eyes and stretches, a yawn escaping her. For the Boiling isles, it was dawn, the sun’s orange rays gracefully illuminating the large room and reflecting off the stark white of the snow. The striking purple of the walls of her room often clashing with the warm colours of the morning sun. </p>
<p>For Amity, it was a dreamless night, a rarity for her but not underappreciated. With all the excitement that occurred last night in the forest and at the Owl House, it must have exhausted her much more than she thought. Amity smiles, eyes glazing over and the morning haze lifting from her mind as she remembers what her siblings did when they were reunited. Many tears were shed, and remarks traded. Amity was even able to share many ‘hugs’ with her siblings, something that was very surprising to the twins but enthusiastically returned. If Emira and Edric had any questions where she was or what this <em>‘hug’</em> thing was, it died on their lips as they held their baby sister. If their parents were to see such displays of affection, of weakness, it would have been a disaster. </p>
<p>Thank Titan that they weren’t there.</p>
<p>According to Edric, their parents were away for a business meeting on a neighbouring city with some new clients on the same day that Amity went missing. Further complications with the negotiations forced them to stay longer than they anticipated, missing the frantic search for Amity. With the twins swearing that they didn’t mention her disappearance to anyone, they should be able to get out of this free from punishment.</p>
<p>A thumping drew her out of her thoughts. She huffs, no doubt it was her sister getting out of bed to fix up something for himself. She musters the energy to get out of bed and walks towards the door.</p>
<p>Before she leaves, she takes one final look at her organized room. She sees her wooden desk with an organized stack of papers and binders at the side. Her tall window at on end of the room with an alcove where she can sit under the sky for reading or working. Her closet only a head taller than her and her bookshelves filled to the brim with an assortment of books she collected over the years.</p>
<p>If anyone would look upon this room, they would say that it looked like a normal room fit for a regular person. But to Amity who spent most of her life here, it felt cold, devoid of any sense of comfort or reassurance. Nothing like the Owl House.</p>
<p>Amity blinks at the thought, <em>‘Why am I thinking of that now?’</em>. She turns around to face the door leading to the hallway, her mind whirling with the chaos that was the Owl House. Nothing like the orderly function of her home. However, it felt…nice being a part of something like that. Her mind leads to the item given to her by Eda, an ornate talisman carved from wood depicting an owl’s face. It was refreshing that someone gave her a gift out of trust rather than obligation. Hopefully, when she has time, maybe she can go visit? </p>
<p>She exits out of the room and descends to the grand halls and into the large kitchen. The familiar smell of appleblood fills the air as she sees her sister, Emira cooking what appears to be breakfast. Or at least an <em>attempt</em> at breakfast. </p>
<p>“What is that, Emira,” The sound of an incredulous sister gets Emira’s attention, causing her to give a bright smile at Amity. </p>
<p>“Good morning, Mittens. Didn’t think you’d be awake after last night.”</p>
<p>Amity groans, “It’s too early for this, Emira. Just what did you do to the food.”</p>
<p>“Spoilsport,” Emira gives a slight pout, “And here I thought I would be a good sister and make some breakfast.”</p>
<p>“Emira, your food looks like it met a fire spell head on.”</p>
<p>“Amity,” Emira shouts dramatically, placing a hand on her chest, “You wound me with your insult! For that you will receive no breakfast from me.”</p>
<p>“I think that’s a blessing. Now move over and let me cook the food or we are going to get food poisoning.”</p>
<p>That got Emira’s attention, “Really?”</p>
<p>“Yeah, can’t I be nice for once?” Amity gave a stern glare, crossing her arms at an amused Emira.</p>
<p>“Aw, you’re warming up to us. Make sure you make enough for all three, okay?” Emira walked away from Amity, burnt food, and cup of warm appleblood in hand and sauntered towards the dining table, sitting down with a dignified plop. “And make sure it tastes good!”</p>
<p>“I’m sure whatever I make, its going to be better than your food. Now, shush.” The clang of metal and heat began as Amity prepares a breakfast fit for one teenager and two children-by-heart. The soft sizzle of griffin bacon resounds from a large pan. Beside it, a pot filled with spiced porridge with an assortment of colourful and sweet berries.  A soft hum escapes her, but she was too enraptured in her cooking to take notice. </p>
<p>Unbeknownst to her, Emira was watching Amity intently as she cooks. Say what you will about one of the terrible prankster twins, but she always tried her best to protect her sister from their parent’s influence. A promise here, a hidden threat there, it was carefully balanced to make sure that not all the burden was placed on their sister. Edric knows this too if what he does to deflect some blame onto himself was intentional.</p>
<p>Lately though, something was happening to Amity and Emira didn’t know what to do. Their parents were becoming more assertive in their advances and expectations over the years and it has been running Amity ragged. Emira and Edric remember when they were younger when Amity would have a spark or excitement when she would rush towards her siblings with something new. Nowadays, Amity would come home quiet and downcast, barely having any energy to react to do anything but work. Amity would also try putting on a façade of being fine, but it was easy to see through, but they never pushed to have a direct confrontation.</p>
<p>Of course, they have their own unique ways to fix things. Usually, Emira and Edric would try something to get a rise out of her and distract her from anything stressful but Amity would at times just shut them out. If they tried to talk to her at school without any overbearing parents over their shoulder, Amity would always say “Not now” or “I’m working on something, talk to me later” or something to push them away.</p>
<p>And when they realized that two days ago that she was missing in a middle of a snowstorm that can freeze a witch to the bone? Emira went ballistic trying to find her. Edric, in a rare turn of events, tried to reason and calm her down from not burning herself out. Of course, that didn’t stop both of them from scouring the forests and the city in an effort to find her. It also helped that it was the day before the weekend, limiting the uproar to the Blight twins. </p>
<p>From Amity’s room to breaking into the school, they tried their hardest in finding a single clue to the whereabouts of their missing sister. Unfortunately, they had not found hide nor hair of her. At the time, Emira couldn’t help but think if it was their fault for her being missing, thinking that Amity didn’t want to be with them anymore.</p>
<p><em>‘Not exactly my proudest moment,’</em> Emira thinks. From the corner of her eye, she can see the familiar form of her twin, Edric, groggily stumble his way down the staircase. She can see him muttering something under his breath, probably something about how the early mornings would kill him one day. </p>
<p>As he approaches the entrance to the kitchen and wiping the sleep from his eyes, Edric sees Emira placing a finger to her mouth and motions him to sit down at the table. Confused, Edric quietly approaches the kitchen, a question laced along his lips. But as soon he enters the room, he hears a soft and gentle hum resonate the room, he soon realizes why.</p>
<p>“Woah,” Edric whispers to Emira, stealthily taking a seat beside her, “When was the last time we heard her sing?”</p>
<p>“I don’t know,” Emira replies as she observes Amity continue to be lost in her own world, humming an unrecognizable but cheery tune. “But it’s nice to see her relax for once.”</p>
<p>“I can agree with you on this one, Em, but this seems drastic! You know what she looked like these past two weeks! She looked like one of her abominations.” </p>
<p>“I know, I know,” How could she forget? The gaunt form of her sister slouched over her desk with books piled high around her in the twilight hours of the night was burned into her head. “I just think that this could be a nice change of pace for her, y’know?”</p>
<p>“I mean, yeah, I’m all for our sister deciding to relax and all but don’t you think it’s strange that this all happened the day after she disappeared?” </p>
<p>“Well,” Emira tried to think of something but her tongue was twisted. Edric got her there. Now that she thinks about it, the Amity she knew before she disappeared would bottle her emotions and show nothing. Perhaps there was something going on here?</p>
<p>“What are you two whispering about?” The discussion between the twins was ground to a halt when several plates and bowls filled with morning delicacies were placed onto the table with a soft clack. The smell of delicious foods caused their stomachs to grumble but they tore their focus away towards their very curious sister, “It better not be another elaborate scheme.” </p>
<p>“We were just discussing about how nice it was for you to make us breakfast! Isn’t that right, Ed,” Emira says, giving Edric a look.</p>
<p>“Yeah, that’s right,” Edric replies, already knowing what that look meant, “And what made you decide that we were worth all this trouble, Mittens?”</p>
<p>Amity grumbles and turns a bit red from hearing Edric saying her childish nickname, “Do you two really have to keep calling me that! I’m 16, not some young child.”</p>
<p>“But you’ll always be our little baby sister who we’ll always love to tease.” Emira teases.</p>
<p>“Yeah, yeah,” Amity crosses her arms and huffs, closing her eyes and turning her head away, “And for the record, I did it to avoid eating whatever Emira tried to make,” Emira had the decency to look a bit sheepish at the comment, “Not because I felt bad or anything.”</p>
<p>“Aw, you do care!” Cooed Edric, clasping his hands beside his face.</p>
<p>“Don’t push it,” Snapped Amity. She takes a seat and grabs a plate, piling high the assortment of goods served, “Now are you going to eat or what? It’s going to get cold otherwise.”</p>
<p>“Now you don’t have to tell me twice!” Edric happily began getting the food around the table and shoveling big portions into his mouth, giggling with content from the delicious flavours.</p>
<p>Emira, not to be shown up by her twin, swiftly began gathering her own assortment of items before they ran out from Edric’s ravenous hunger. She can recognize some of the items that Amity made, the crispy griffin bacon and the rather luxurious porridge enticing her with the thick, sweet smell. Even some freshly toasted bread and bowls of diced fruits and vegetables. However, there was something new at the table.</p>
<p>“What this?” Emira held up with her fork a round disk of food, browned and covered with some type of syrup, “I don’t think I’ve seen anything like this before. What is it?”</p>
<p>“And whatever it is,” Edric added, his mouth sputtering with barely chewed food, “It’s good! You gotta make more these things!”</p>
<p>Amity stopped biting into her food and widened her eyes, a gesture that raised a few questions with Emira. Amity quickly coughed into her fist and cleared her throat.</p>
<p>“It’s a witch’s recipe I found when I was in the library. They are called pancakes,” Amity’s voice was level but Emira could tell that she was lying. The slight twitch of Amity’s left ear gave her away but Emira stayed quiet, more than content to listen to whatever tale her sister spun to conceal something from them. Although, where was the fun in that?</p>
<p>“A recipe from the library, truly?” Emira knows how to play this game, she been doing this for far longer than Amity. She can see her sister tense from the question. Just a little prod there, “I don’t remember you being interested in such things before, has this been recent?”</p>
<p>“Well, yes,” Amity replied, a decent recover but not much, “I was going to the library to go read to the children when I found a book that caught my eye, something that you two should try.” Edric was starting to catch on too as he finished the last of his food in one gulp and wiped his face with a napkin.</p>
<p>“Likely story,” Edric said impishly, “Although, I don’t remember the library being open for the past few days. Are you hiding something from us?”</p>
<p>“No, Edric, I’m not,” Amity says too quickly, a mistake she realizes too late.</p>
<p>“Because it seems like you are,” Emira adds, food forgotten to now interrogate her sister, “And that you are starting to get really defensive right now.”</p>
<p>“I’m not getting defensive!”</p>
<p>“And that necklace of yours,” A chill ran up Amity’s spine, “I don’t think I’ve seen anything like it. Where did you get it?”</p>
<p>“Necklace,” Amity was starting to panic, “What necklace?”</p>
<p>“Oh, you know,” Edric drew a blue spell circle in the air and Amity’s face turned pale as floating in his hand was an exact replica of the talisman Eda gave her, “This weird thing.”</p>
<p>“I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like this before. Emira, have you?”</p>
<p>“Seems rather old. Nothing gaudy that mother forces us to wear during those balls and parties she throws.” </p>
<p>“You think that her friends gave it to her?”</p>
<p>“Really, Edric, those ingratiating little toads that hang around our sister? I don’t think that they would be caught dead with this on them. If anything, they’ll probably burn it or something.”  </p>
<p>“How do you-”</p>
<p>“Know about it?” Edric interrupts, giving Amity a sly look. “Did you really think that you would be able to hide something this big from us two?”</p>
<p>“Yeah, Amity,” Emira leaned back from her seat and crossed her arms, projecting a knowledgeable façade, “You weren’t exactly being subtle.”</p>
<p>“I mean to be fair, we weren’t either,” Edric shrugged, “Although it’s kind of hard to miss a glowing necklace that slipped out of your pocket.”</p>
<p>“I – You – Wait, glowing?” Amity all but sputtered, only recentering when Edric brought up this new info. <em>‘Did it really do that? I don’t remember that happening.’</em></p>
<p>“Yeah, it was kind of spooky. Found it while we were getting tackled by your so-called <em>hug</em>. Emira and I only got a brief glimpse at it while it was on the ground. Well, maybe only me as Emira here cried her eyes ou-OW”</p>
<p>“Edric! Stay on topic!’</p>
<p>“Okay, okay,” Edric rubbed his arm to ease some of the pain, “Anyways, I thought it was important seeing as you, oh I don’t know, disappeared and reappeared for a day with that thing with you. So, I did the only sensible thing and put it back in your pocket without you noticing.”</p>
<p>“You totally thought it was some type of charm tying her to this plane.”</p>
<p>“Not the time, Emira. So, Amity,” Edric leaned in, one arm lying on the table, “What’s with the new sense of style?”</p>
<p>“Yeah, Mittens, where did you get it?”</p>
<p>“Well, I – um,” Amity raised her hands to her chest, hoping it can act like a barrier between the twins. Her eyes were darting between the two as her mind was racing on how to- </p>
<p>“C’mon, spill already,” They were getting closer, the glee in their face apparent. They both got out of their seats and encircled Amity. The heartbeat within Amity’s chest was reaching a thudding high.</p>
<p>“Was it someone we know?” Edric took one step.</p>
<p>“Or was it someone new?” Emira took another.</p>
<p>“Did you get it from a store?” Amity’s breath was quickening, her hands gripping the wooden chair’s seating tightly.</p>
<p>“Or maybe it was a gift from someone special?” The memory of Eda flying high into the sky appeared in her mind, serving only to guard herself more. </p>
<p>“Now, Amity, did you really get it when you <em>disappeared?</em>” The twins were but a hairs breath away from where Amity was sitting, taking a seat on the table to look down at their sister.  </p>
<p>“Or did you decide to be whisked away, swept off her feet by someone hoping for our sister’s heart. Oh, Edric, can you imagine? A rescue masked as a disappearance, their one and only chance to meet!” A flicker of chocolate brown eyes flashed in her mind, causing Amity to flush, a sight not missed by Emira and Edric with their snickering.</p>
<p>“Look, Em, she’s blushing! Turns out we might be right?”</p>
<p>“Now, now, Ed, we don’t know for sure though. Although, I must admit, I am hurt that you would keep this away from us, were your siblings.”</p>
<p>“Yeah. Although, don’t get me wrong, who would want to capture our sister’s heart?” Amity could feel something swirl in her chest, a piercing flash of heat beginning to simmer underneath the surface.</p>
<p>“I mean, these people would have to be one of THE slimiest ones to ever think to manipulate our sister.” The heat grows as Amity did not look at her siblings as they continue, her arms trembling with the amount of tension building from gripping the wood.</p>
<p>“I mean, they would have to be greedy,” A warm fireplace roars in her mind.</p>
<p>“Selfish,” The memory of a warm mug stings her hands.</p>
<p>“Don’t forget about devious, they were harbouring a Blight after all,” The soft smiles of Eda and Luz tightens her resolve. She can feel the heat inside her threatening to consume all and her ears begin to ring with rage.</p>
<p>“Maybe there-”</p>
<p>“SHUT UP!”  The screech of wood against stone silenced the twins, directing their attention to a trembling Amity standing up and glaring at the two.</p>
<p>“YOU DON’T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED!” The menace in Amity’s voice keeps the twins from retorting.</p>
<p>“YOU TWO KEEP TRYING TO BARGE IN TO MY LIFE! MY PRIVACY! DO YOU REALLY THINK THAT FOR ONCE, I WANTED TO LEAVE ON PURPOSE!” Amity raises an accusatory finger at the twins, fury unrestrained.</p>
<p>“Amity,” Emira starts, “That’s not really-”</p>
<p>“NO, DON’T YOU DARE START!” Amity snapped at Emira, causing the targeted twin to flinch, “Can’t you two realize that what you two said might be egregiously wrong or that someone could have genuinely been trying to help me?”</p>
<p>“I tried being nice for you two this morning and you two decide to ask me all this!? For Titan’s sake I almost died in that storm and was saved by someone by their good will, not for some superficial prestige or, or standing.” Amity could feel tears starting to swell from the corners from her eyes but the anger inside her refuses to allow her to show weakness against her siblings.</p>
<p>“Is it really your first reaction to just slander or criticize something that you haven’t been in? Or Titan forbid, interrogate anyone and possibly mercilessly ruin their lives just because they did something to a <em>BLIGHT!</em>” </p>
<p>“Maybe once, just once, there is someone out there that wants to help others without trying to take advantage of me? Is that too much to ask or even hope to consider?”</p>
<p>“Amity, please, we didn’t mean it like that,” Emira pleaded, fidgeting in her seat with the amount of tension and uncomfortableness in the air. </p>
<p>“We were just trying to protect you. I mean, you’re our baby sister, right?” Amity grit her teeth, her eyes reflecting the ire directed at the twins.</p>
<p>“You two are just like mother and father…” The quiet whisper silenced the entire room. The sheer amount of <em>venom</em> laced in those words startles the twins, causing their hearts to break.  </p>
<p>“Amity,” Edric tries to soothe, “Please, we didn’t mean-” </p>
<p>“I’m going out to the marketplace to get ingredients for my abomination project. Don’t you dare follow.” Amity could see Emira about to call her, but she ignored whatever Emira was about to say. With a rush, Amity rushed to her room to avoid the look of the twins, who are no doubt feeling angry or frustrated. </p>
<p>With a mighty slam, the door slams shut and the wood creaks with the amount of force used. The twins flinch at the sound, but it was nothing compared to the growing pit developing in their hearts. It felt like a long time before either of them even tries to speak.</p>
<p>“Edric,” Emira says trying to keep her voice level, trying, and failing, to stop the growing amount of shame, emotion, and hurt from influencing her voice.</p>
<p>“Yeah.” They can see Amity stomp down the stairwell. She was dressed to go outside in the cold with her long purple coat over a green long-sleeved shirt, blue pants, and hard, black leather boots. A backpack was slung over her shoulder, no doubt filled with scrolls and textbooks for her to work away from. They could feel the animosity radiating from Amity as she did not even turn to look at them before she left the oversized front doors of their home.</p>
<p>“We messed up.”</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p><em>‘Breathe in. Breathe out. Breathe in. Breathe out.’</em>  The chill of her breath reins in Amity as she tries to clear her mind and calm herself down from the fiasco from the early morning. The long march towards the open-air marketplace also helped to ease the troubles of the young girl. Though, her sibling’s comments echo in her mind. </p>
<p> <em>‘How can they even think that about other people?’</em> Amity thinks ruefully. Were their lives so crooked that the thought of someone helping them is bad? She shook her head, pushing these thoughts to the back of her mind. She doesn’t need to think about it now, that would be a problem for later. For now, she needs to get to the market. At least that was something she didn’t need to figure out.</p>
<p><em>‘Speaking of figuring out,’</em> Amity quickly moves into a snow-filled alleyway and, after seeing that no one was around her, took out from her bag the instigator for her flight. In her hand lies the owl talisman, curtesy of one traveling performer. On close inspection, she didn’t see anything special regarding this peculiar talisman with its intricate wooden carvings and shape. However, if her brother’s words rang true, it glowed.</p>
<p><em>‘But how?’</em> She pondered at this conundrum. She turned it over, not expecting anything. True to her thoughts, all that she was met with was the naked wood, lacking anything that would render it <em>unique</em>. She turned it back over to look at the face of the owl and yet again, found nothing of acclaim.</p>
<p><em>‘Maybe I’m overthinking this.’</em> Without much thought, Amity decided to wear it around her neck. If you would ask her at the time, she would have said that it would have felt weird not to. She then takes out a large purple and black striped woolen beanie and a red scarf, wearing them on her head and neck, respectively. </p>
<p>Due to her status as the young mistress of the Blight family, it was easy for anyone outside the school to either accost or recognize her. Although witches tend to mind their own business and respect certain boundaries, gossiping and flattery tend to be common. She was lucky that on the day she went missing, she was going too fast through the crowds of people of to be recognized. At least, she hoped that was the case. Amity clicks her tongue, making a mental note to never forget her coverings if she ever decides to go out more. </p>
<p>With the orange glow of the sun still being apparent in the sky, it was no surprise to the witch that there was not as nearly as many witches perusing through the stone walkways. It was one of the reasons why she liked these early mornings, the lack of people making it easier to travel or interact with others. The quiet also helps too, allowing Amity to concentrate on what to get from the market. </p>
<p><em>‘Now, what do I need?’</em> Amity begins to ponder, <em>‘Perhaps some diluted gargoyle bile as the base for the mixture? Maybe manticore fangs to develop the growth of the abomination? Or would it be better to go with wolfsbane to catalyze the formation of a strong internal structure?’</em> </p>
<p>Amity racks her brain for any other possible options. Unfortunately, any other ideas she comes up with would only lead to a lackluster abomination in her eyes. She lets out a low growl of frustration, <em>‘It’s been two weeks since that big assignment was announced, and I got nothing to show for it except theories and failed compositions. Just what am I missing?’</em> </p>
<p>A large cheer brought her out of her thoughts, turning her attention to the now closer marketplace, marked by two large poles and blue tassels.</p>
<p><em>‘That’s odd. That’s not the usual bartering sounds, just what is going on?’</em> Like a fairy to a flame, Amity followed the noise, the cheering growing louder and louder with every step she took. Hearing another deafening cry, this time with the sound of clapping and laughter, Amity quickens her pace, not feeling the gentle warmth growing on her chest.</p>
<p>With a mighty crescendo, she at last arrives at the central fountain surrounded by a large crowd of people. She tries entering the crowd before she was met with a flock of small, winged creatures the colour of pure snow fly past her in a mighty rush. Feeling her covering come loose from the tailwind, she grasps it, preventing it from flying away and into the crowd.</p>
<p>“What in Titan’s name was that?” She mutters quietly to herself. From the quick glimpse she had, she couldn’t determine what creature it was. Feeling her curiosity burning, she descends into the mass of people knowing that whatever drew in this large crowd was in the center of it. She utters a few apologies each time she gets through another denizen, hoping that they wouldn’t be too mad at her.</p>
<p>At last, she exits from group of people and enters the clearing in the center, receiving an undignified plop. She gets up and wipes away any stray snow on her pants before she notices who was in front of her. </p>
<p>It was two masked people on a large stone platform, garbed in tacky yet colourful suits with flowing capes behind them. One was clearly appreciating the applause coming from the crowd, taking several bows with their blue and gold suit. This performer’s face was hidden away behind a carved mask resembling a fox, the outer surface painted yellow with black around presumably where the eyes are located. Additionally, the performer wore a hood over their head and tucked the edges into their mask. Even with all the covering, it was hard to miss the sheer amount of energy that radiated from their stature.</p>
<p>The other, taller performer didn’t seem to have as much energy as the smaller one, but it was more than made up for with the sheer amount of <em>smugness</em> and <em>pride</em> held in her stance after bowing.  Their arms were held behind their back, staff in one hand, and back straight showing off their red and gold suit. Any person in the audience could feel the smile behind her ornate owl mask, painted a muted brown. Unlike their partner, this performer didn’t have a hood on their head, letting their two-toned grey hair flow down below their waist. </p>
<p>Without a shadow of a doubt, Amity knew who these two were even if she only known them for a short time. </p>
<p>“Thank you, thank you,” Eda exclaimed, her voice clear and boisterous. She waves to the large crowd and receiving a bigger applause, “You’ve all been too kind! Now I must ask you all, are you ready for the next act!” A roar of approval comes from the crowd. Amity could only give a tiny squeak in support, caught off guard by the crowd’s enthusiasm. </p>
<p>“For this next act is one of danger but also of reward,” Eda draws a grand magic circle with her staff, summoning several solid lines of light that spread throughout the air at different heights. Seemingly attached to these rods were hoops and wooden planks akin to a swing set. A murmur goes throughout the crowd, fascination and curiosity held in their voices.</p>
<p>“One lucky audience member will perform with my lovely assistant,” Proclaimed Eda, causing the crowd’s voice to grow in excitement. “They will traverse through the sky and defy the very force of gravity!”</p>
<p>“However, the lucky one will be not be chosen by me but by my assistant, Fox! So,” Amity sees Eda nudge Luz with her staff, eliciting a laugh from the crowd, “Pick wisely for this is something that they don’t want to miss.” Luz steps forward, observing the crowd as they grow rowdier by the second. However, it was not until that Luz’s gaze falls on Amity that causes Luz to rush forward and grab a surprised Amity’s hand. With a strong tug, she drags Amity to the platform, raising their clasped hand high into the air for all to see.</p>
<p>“I choose this one to be my partner!” Luz declares, the joy evident in her voice. Those in the crowd who wanted to be the selected one grumbled but were ultimately drowned out by the other voices interested to see what happens next. </p>
<p>Amity, however, could only freeze at the sudden attention. All these eyes on her, expecting something spectacular and out of this world! </p>
<p><em>‘I-I can’t do this,’</em> Amity thinks, her eyes narrowing and her breaths becoming shallow, <em>‘I don’t know what I’m doing. I’ll make a complete fool of myself! Why did I even come here!’</em> She feels the world start to spin around her, the voices of the crowd fading away. It was not until she feels a tight squeeze on her right hand that she comes back to reality.  She turns and sees Luz looking right at her, giving an air of reassurance.</p>
<p>“Don’t worry,” Assured Luz quietly, giving another squeeze with her hand, “You got this. Just trust me, okay?”</p>
<p><em>‘Trust her? We barely know her! We should just get out of here,’</em> One side of her brain tried to argue. However, there was something about Luz that Amity couldn’t pin down, that feeling where you know that this person can’t lie to save their life. </p>
<p>“I trust you.” Amity, whispered back, finding comfort in the warmth of their clasped hands. She could feel the nerves within her settle down, replaced with a great anticipation for the upcoming event.</p>
<p>Luz gives a quick nod and turns towards the crowd, “Then let the act commence!” A roar of approval came from the crowd, but Amity could only gulp at the response. Swiftly, she feels something slip into the hand holding onto Luz, but the weight quickly disappears. Confused, she looks towards Luz who acted none the wiser. </p>
<p>“Remember, stay calm and follow my lead,” That was the only thing Amity heard before she was <em>launched</em> into the air, the wind whistling in her ears and closing her eyes at the suddenness, feeling her backpack fall off her. Out of reflex, she scrambled in the air, waving her arms in an erratic fashion before clasping something solid. </p>
<p>Amity opens her eyes and sees that she was in the air, at the mercy to the hoop that she somehow grabbed onto. She looks down and immediately regrets it, the crowd and pavement being far away from where she was. Before she gets a chance to panic, a cheery laugh brought her attention to her left side, seeing Luz hanging from another hoop. </p>
<p>“See, I told you that you would be fine!”</p>
<p>“L-Luz, how did I get up here!?”</p>
<p>“Magic~” Luz replies in a sing-song voice. “Now, c’mon, we have a show to start!”</p>
<p>“But what do I do?”</p>
<p>“I told you on the stage, didn’t I? Just follow my lead,” With that, Luz swings her legs back and forth, getting closer and closer to Amity which each swing.</p>
<p>With a bit of apprehension, Amity does the same, feeling the wind and cold rush past her. With each passing second, she begins to enjoy herself from this feeling, slowly crumbling the fear she had. </p>
<p>“See, you got the hang of it! Now, for this next one, I need you to let go!” Luz proclaims.</p>
<p>“Are you sure?” Doubt crawls into her tone, more then content to just keep swinging. </p>
<p>“Yup! Don’t worry, Eda won’t let you fall too far!”</p>
<p>With a mighty gulp, she closes her eyes and lets go at the apex of her forward swing, the momentum causing her to tumble in the air like a ball. She rolls in the air for a few seconds before she straightens her body out and holds her hands in front of her, catching a passing hoop. </p>
<p>The force of catching the hoop causes her to swing forward again, this time higher than before. Taking a deep breath, she let’s go again, flipping in the air as straight as a pencil before diving back down and catching again another passing hoop. </p>
<p>Amity could hear her heart pounding, her mind focused. A smile was growing on her face as she soars into the air once again, the action becoming more natural as time passed. She can hear the cheers of the crowd echo from the land below, reinvigorating and pushing her into new heights!</p>
<p>She simply feels free.</p>
<p>“Wow, Amity, you’re a natural!” The sudden praise caused Amity to look up from where she was sitting in the hoop and was surprised to seethe upside-down form of Luz hanging from a wooden plank.</p>
<p>Amity eyes widen, “Luz, what are you doing!? You could fall!”</p>
<p>“Naw, it fine,” Luz waves a hand from her position, carefully balanced on the back of her knees, “I’ve been doing these kinds of things for years. Although, I have to ask, are you sure you haven’t been doing some secret acrobatic training before? Because what you did was awesome!” </p>
<p>Amity could only help but let out a small laugh at the insinuation, “No, Luz, I haven’t done anything like that in my life. The only thing I’ve done something close to this was back when I was Grudgby captain back to Hexside.”</p>
<p>“You go to <strong><em>HEXSIDE!</em></strong>” Luz’s eyes sparkle at the mere mention of Amity’s school, taking aback the green-haired witch.</p>
<p>“Uh, yeah,” Amity gives a nervous laugh, “I mean, its not that bad, I guess?”</p>
<p>“Not that bad? <strong><em>Not that bad!?</em></strong> Amity, you go to a school where you get to become awesome witches and practice only with the best of the best! I would <em>kill</em> to be there! You being a student there means that you have to be some awesome witch-in-training!” Luz waves her arms to emphasize her point, swaying in the air. </p>
<p>Amity rubs the back of her head, not used to hear such words of praise, “Thank you but it’s not as fun as you think it might be. Also,” Amity glances towards the ground, “Is it okay for us to be conversing like this? You said we have to put on a show.”</p>
<p>“Don’t worry, our performance in the air isn’t the only thing happening. Look,” Luz points to Eda and Amity sees various halos be conjured by her staff, bringing forth various forms of elements to bedazzle the crowd. “When I’m doing stuff like this, Eda helps out by creating the backgrounds effects such as fire or summoning crystals. We’re fine.” </p>
<p>“So, ready to continue the show?” Luz, still in her upside-down position, raises both her hands forward toward Amity.</p>
<p>“Sure.” Amity, though unsure of what to expect next, clasps Luz’s hands, a confident smile donning her face.</p>
<p>Luz gave out a bright smile, “Great! Also, I am sorry for what’s about to happen next.”</p>
<p>“What do you meeeeeEEAAAN!” In a daring move, Luz pulled Amity off her hoop with great force, the combined weight of the two causing a maddening rush through the air.</p>
<p>“Luz, when this is all over, I swear I will toss you into the biggest snow pile there is on this side of the isles!” Amity’s grip tightens as she continues to fly through the air with Luz laughing all the way.</p>
<p>“No, you won’t! You like this too much!” With a grand laugh, Luz let’s go of her platform from her knees, now at the mercy of the air and the force left behind. They spin round and round through the air, Amity’s screams of fear accompanied with the childish laughter of Luz as they go ever higher. </p>
<p>“Luz what did you do!?”</p>
<p>“Oh, something you might like.”</p>
<p>“You let go of the thing! Now what do we do!?”</p>
<p>“The finale.” There was something in Luz’s voice that sounded like she had an inkling of a plan. </p>
<p>“Now, I am going to count to three and when I say three, we both have to let go of each other.”</p>
<p>“WHY!?”</p>
<p>“Because when we let go, there should be two hoops near the tip of the fountain,” That was <em>eerily</em> close to ground for Amity’s liking, “We need to catch it, do a flip off of it, and land onto the cushion that Eda will make.”</p>
<p>“You make it sound so easy!”</p>
<p>“That’s because it is, you silly goose! Gravity is already doing most of the work, we just need to direct it.”</p>
<p>“Now, c’mon, we have to start soon, or we’ll be too late and become mush on the ground.” The thought of that happening causes some nausea to stir in Amity. </p>
<p>“Ready? 1…” Amity could feel herself become slower in the air. </p>
<p>“2…” Amity tilts her head back, seeing the smiling and determined face of Luz looking right at her.</p>
<p>“3!” They both say at the same time, letting go of each other and diving straight down into the ground. Amity could hear the crowd let out a collective gasp, some were even pointing at the two.</p>
<p><em>‘I can do this. I can do this.’</em> Amity reassures herself, falling faster and faster to the ground. She pulls down her scarf to breathe clearly, giving a slight pause to the fact that it was able to stay on her for all this time. She takes a breath to focus and her mind sharpens. She can see the hoop near the fountain rapidly approaching her.</p>
<p><em>‘Luz, you better be right about this.’</em> With blind faith guiding her, she raises her arms in front of her, eyes wide open to witness it all. For a moment, she feels the rough material of the hoop and immediately clasps it. The force of her fall caused the hoop to be pulled down momentarily before Amity maneuvers her body to go forwards feet first. She can feel the tips of her boots catch the still water of the fountain; no doubt melted from ice by Eda. </p>
<p>When her boots exit the water, a stream of droplets follow as her legs straighten, the sunlight reflecting off the water and making it glitter like crystals in the air. At that very moment, Amity lets go, and tumbles in the air. As if pre-calculated, Amity lands feet first onto the ground, feeling the soft cushion of a soft mat, and raises her arms to mimic Eda and Luz at the end of their performance. </p>
<p>The reception from the crowd was enormous, the applause and cheers startling Amity from her own tired breathing and spent mind. She glances towards Eda and Luz, seeing them bowed to the crowd. Taking the hint, she bows as well, receiving another round of loud applause. </p>
<p>“Thank you, thank you for the kind applause,” Proclaims Eda, waving her arm in the air. She then motions Amity over, wrapping an arm over her shoulder when she came over, “It was only through the abilities of my magical assistant, Fox, and this fine, young follower of the arts! Truly, today has been a good day for a performance!” The crowd roars back in reply, asking for another act.</p>
<p>“Another act, you say,” The thrilled voice of Eda asks with Luz coming closer to Eda to prepare, “Very wel-”</p>
<p>“HALT!” The crowd goes silent as several masked witches garbed in white robes lined with fur march through the crowd and approach the stage. On their chests was a golden badge, signifying their authority and status. Each witch takes their staff and aims them at Eda and Luz, glowing with the intention to summon a spell. </p>
<p>“Aw, nuts,” Amity hears Eda mutter quietly. She sees Luz slightly stiffen and become jittery while Eda moves in front of the two, keeping her hands and staff behind her back.</p>
<p>“In the name of the Council’s Coven,” One of the witch’s shouts, standing a head taller than the rest of them, “Edayln Clawthorne and her accomplice, Fox, are to be arrested on the charges of social disturbances, roguery, and unlawful association with the Council!”</p>
<p>“What? Those charges are hogwash! We haven’t done anything wrong here!” Eda proclaims, making her back straighter in the face of authority. Amity sees a slight shift in the left sleeve of Eda, and something rolls from it into Eda’s hand, grasping it firmly. Amity could also barely see Luz shift slightly, causing something to fall from her right pant leg, resting behind Luz’s shoe.</p>
<p>“If you do not go with us peacefully, you will be taken in by force and retrieve Ms. Blight from your hands!” The witches then step closer to the three, clear intent in their movements.</p>
<p>Eda merely removes her mask with her right thumb, staff still in hand. The witches tense, their staffs raised to receive anything. Eda just grins, golden fang shining in the sun.</p>
<p>“How about a magic trick?” Eda immediately slams the item in her left hand to the ground, smoke suddenly appearing in the air and spreading to the wide area. Shouts begin to resound from the crowd, no doubt orders to rush them. </p>
<p>“Sorry about this, kid, but it would be better to come with us.” Before Amity could protest, she was immediately falling through the floor with the sudden appearance of a portal. The shouts of the crowd and the Council’s Coven were slowly silenced as Amity falls further. The scenery slowly turns from the snow-covered city to a lush and thriving grove of plants.</p>
<p>Amity crashes into a soft pile of leaves, grumbling and holding her head. She also sees Eda quickly wiping herself clean and Luz closing the portal before anyone gets through. Eda notices the confused Amity and walks over to her.</p>
<p>“Sorry about that, kid. It wasn’t my intention to get you dragged into this mess,” Eda helps Amity up, giving an apologetic smile.</p>
<p>“It’s fine, I guess,” Amity grumbles for a bit, “Did you really have to drag me through though?”</p>
<p>Eda shrugs, “Didn’t have much time. Any longer and they would be on us like a slitherbeast to a carcass.”</p>
<p>“Fine,” Amity begrudgingly accepts. She looks around for a bit, unsure of something, “So when should I be able to go home?”</p>
<p>“Now that’s an easy question. It won’t be anything like that snowstorm we’ve found you in so we should be able to send you back almost immediately. Although, we have to wait it for a bit to let the heat cool down so maybe in an hour or two. Is that fine?”</p>
<p>Amity ponders the proposition before answering, “That should be fine, I guess. If I may,” Amity takes a good look of the surroundings, seeing rows of bright and colourful plants and tall trees dotting the area. She can even hear the cries of several creatures further away from here. </p>
<p>“Are we near the Owl House? I don’t think I recognize this area when we left.”</p>
<p>“That’s because we are not near the Owl House, my dear.” A new voice causes Amity to whirl behind her in surprise and was face to face with a large array of very sharp teeth. Startled, Amity quickly takes several steps back, distancing herself from the new arrival. She sees a huge brown wolf with cobalt blue eyes staring her down, one eye slightly paler due to the jagged scar running through its right eye. Amity was beginning to hyperventilate while Eda was just laughing. </p>
<p>“Now, now, there is no cause for alarm, Ms. Blight. I can assure you that Lobos here will not harm you.” Amity starts to calm down, finally noticing who was the one to speak. On top of the wolf was a diminutive figure sitting on top of the beast, a Shepherd’s crook behind their back and clothed in fine furs and wearing a Sherpa on their head. On closer inspection, Amity could tell it was a demon, evident by their unique red skin, dark-brown eyes with yellow sclera, and sharply pointed ears. The tips of their hair were showing under their hat, revealing a light turquoise colour. </p>
<p>The rider dismounts from the wolf and Amity notices that the demon was just barely taller than her waist as the demon approaches Eda, still snickering at the previous situation. </p>
<p>“Good morning, Ms. Clawthorne. I didn’t expect you to be visiting and I thought that you would be working today. Did something occur?”</p>
<p>“Got a bit interrupted by the Council’s Coven so we had to jump ship.” Eda replied, calming down from her laughter. </p>
<p>“I see,” The demon then turns their attention to Amity, feeling as if that they were trying to piece something together, “And I didn’t realize that you would be bringing company today. And one with such importance too.”</p>
<p>“Yeah, I know,” Eda crosses her arms and looks sternly at the demon, “But only for a couple of hours to let the fiasco to calm down.”</p>
<p>“I see,” The demon says once again. The demon then begins to look around, “Now where is-”</p>
<p>“AUNTY MORA!” Amity sees Luz dash towards the demon, this ‘Mora’, and scoops her up, hugging them tightly. </p>
<p>“Hello to you too, Luz,” Greets Mora, rubbing Luz’s head affectionately, “How was the morning?”</p>
<p>“Aside from the last bits, it was GREAT! You should have seen it; we were doing the high-flying act near the grand fountain and it went so well! And Amity here was a complete natural at it too!” Luz says excitedly, putting down and letting go at the demon. </p>
<p>Mora eyes Amity once again, “Truly?” </p>
<p>“Yep! She was awesome, flying through the air as if she’d done this before. And guess what! She goes to <em>Hexside</em>,” Luz exclaims animatedly, “The greatest school on this side of the isles!”</p>
<p>“Truly?” Asks Mora, an inquisitive look on her face. </p>
<p>“Uh, yeah,” Confirms Amity, a bit put off by the seemingly cold attitude of the demon. A sudden bark from the wolf startles Amity and Mora nods as if she understood the wolf.</p>
<p>“If I may,” Mora asks, “What degree are you pursuing at the moment?”</p>
<p>“I’m doing the Abomination route. I’m currently in Advanced Theory and Application of Abomination Summoning with Professor Marco as my teacher.”</p>
<p>“I see,” Mora hums. She clicks her talons, “And how are you faring, if I may be so bold to ask?”</p>
<p>“It’s going…great, I guess. Although,” Amity rubs her arm, “I been stuck on this major assignment for the past two weeks and its infuriating. I have to create an abomination with the goal of: Being able to perform a strenuous and/or arduous task. So far, every abomination I’ve made collapsed before they were able to do something. I thought it was the subpar materials, so I went to get some more high-quality ingredients. That’s actually why I was in the market today, actually.”</p>
<p>“I see,” Replies Mora, clearly digesting all that information from that rant. With a soft hum, she conjures a key into existence and walks into the grove behind Amity.</p>
<p>“Follow me, Ms. Blight. I think I know the solution to your problem.” Mora continues to walk ahead, causing Amity to stumble a bit before following. </p>
<p>“You do? And how do you know my name? I don’t remember you telling it.” A soft hum was her only reply as both continued farther into the grove. She notices the branches of the trees becoming more gnarled as they continued and the loud voices of Luz and Eda getting quieter as they ventured further.</p>
<p>Mora suddenly stops at a large thicket, giving pause to Amity. She then takes her key and inserts it into the air, twisting it. With a mighty shudder, a small brown shack is brought forth into existence, causing Amity to stare with awe. </p>
<p>“Come along, now. Its just right inside,” Mora opens the door and walks in. Amity, not to be discourteous, follows. </p>
<p>As she steps fully inside, Amity was greeted with the sight of an organized witch’s lab. Several bottles, vials, and measuring instruments were placed on a bench on the far wall. Right next to it were several boxes labelled with the names of materials that she thought were near impossible to find. </p>
<p>“Wow….” Quietly exclaims Amity, the wonder floating in her voice. </p>
<p>“I take it that this is to your liking,” Asks Mora, taking off her Sherpa and placing it on a rack, revealing her hair being a hand covering her right eye.</p>
<p>“I just…How did you get these components? And so much of it too!? I mean, most of these items are from creatures that I thought were extinct on the isles!’</p>
<p>“I have my ways,” Mora replies cryptically. She then hands Amity a small brown box, mirth showing from her uncovered eye, “I believe that this box has everything you need to help you find the right path. I’ve left instructions inside on how to prepare the mixture so don’t deviate from them.”</p>
<p>“You’re giving this to me?” Amity asks incredulously, “I can’t take this. These are worth too much!” She tries to give it back to Mora, but Mora politely pushes it back. </p>
<p>“Take it as a sign of good faith, Ms. Blight. You did a good deed today and good deeds should be rewarded.”</p>
<p>“A good deed? What did I do?”</p>
<p>Mora softly chuckles to herself, “You’ll find out eventually. Now, I do believe that it is time to leave as Ms. Clawthorne and Luz are waiting.”</p>
<p>“Wait, it’s time to leave?” Amity raises an eyebrow at Mora, “I thought we were leaving in a few hours?”</p>
<p>“Indeed,” Confirms Mora. “However, in certain areas of the isles, time does not flow correctly. Some areas accelerate time while others slow down. In this humble shack, time moves forward faster. However, that detriment is traded off with the ability to establish something akin to a pocket dimension, allowing me to build something like this and be summoned through a key. Do you understand, Ms. Blight?”</p>
<p>“Uh, sure.”</p>
<p>“Wonderful. Now, off you go, it would be rude to keep the others waiting.” With a wave, Amity exits out of the house and sees the sky coloured not a bright orange but a clear blue. As she walks out of the shack and into the path, she sees Luz and Eda wave her over with Lobos standing off to the side, guarding them.  </p>
<p>“Where were you, Amity? I was so bored,” Complained Luz, a pout on her face.</p>
<p>“Luz, did you seriously forget she went with your aunt into that shack of hers. You know how wonky it gets in there,” Eda reminds Luz, causing her to deflate a bit.</p>
<p>“What! Eda,” Luz complained, “Why didn’t you tell me that she was showing Amity around, I could’ve joined to give her a tour!”</p>
<p>“One,” Eda raised a finger, “You’ve already been there. Two, no way do I want to be left alone here and that goes double for you and Amity. And three, it would have further delayed both us and Amity . We don’t want that now, do we?” Luz gives a dejected no. </p>
<p>“Good,” Eda turns to Amity, giving her a determined look and giving back the backpack that she visited the market with, “Now c’mon, kiddo, we need to send you back before anyone gets more suspicious and I don’t want to keep you waiting any longer.” With a twirl of her staff, Eda summons forth a portal to the front steps of the Blight Manor and sees that no one is there.</p>
<p>“Woah,” Amity hears Luz exclaim quietly with awe, “Your house is big, bigger than ours even. You must be rich.”    </p>
<p>“Yeah, I guess we are,” Amity says dismissively, not wanting to bring it up further. She takes one step toward the portal before she was pulled into a crushing hug by Luz.</p>
<p>“L-Luz!? What are you doing?” Amity exclaims in a fluster, heat rising into her face and ears. </p>
<p>“An apology,” Luz states, “We really didn’t mean to cause you any trouble so please don’t be mad at us.”</p>
<p>Amity smiles at the sentiment and returns the hug, “Don’t worry, I know it’s not any either of your faults.”</p>
<p>“Thanks, Amity,” Luz gives one final squeeze, “Eda must trust you if she gave one of her talismans to you. And if she trusts you, then I can trust you,” She lets go and holds Amity at arms length, looking straight into her eyes, “Promise me that you won’t forget to come hang out with us from time to time. It was fun being with you.”</p>
<p>“I promise,” With that, Luz lets go of Amity and with one final wave, Amity steps into the portal with parcel in hand and backpack latched. She feels the sensation of crossing locations before landing in the front door of the Blight Manor.</p>
<p>She looks to her left and right to reassure herself, seeing no signs of activity. Deciding to take no chances, she decides to hide the box Mora gave her and the owl talisman into her bag, not wanting Emira or Edric asking anymore questions about any mysterious escapades. </p>
<p>With a deep breath, she opens the door, the dark halls as quiet as they can be. Amity breathes a sigh of relief, seeing no one here to disturb her. She steps into the house and quietly closes the door, being careful not to slam it. </p>
<p>Amity walks further into the corridor and begins to feel slightly nervous. The house was eerily quiet. </p>
<p>
  <em>‘That’s weird. Usually Emira and Edric would be doing something in their rooms at this hour. Where are they?’</em>
</p>
<p>“Amity Blight, would you kindly explain what happened today?” Amity’s blood ran cold, and a shiver ran down her spine. She turns and sees in the study room the one-person that she did not want to find today. </p>
<p>Her mother, Odalia Blight.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So, what did you guys think? Did you guys like it? Think it was too much for one chapter? Please leave any comments and kudos if you so wish and I hope you guys get to enjoy the next installments of Hummingbird! Also, I hope you enjoyed some of the world building I did for my story!</p>
<p>Disclaimer: Any and all stunts performed by the Owl House Troupe should never be attempted in real life.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Consequence</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Our actions have consequences. Fear most of all.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you for your continued support! Got this done within two weeks and before Halloween no less! Not exactly a spooky chapter but my mind decided to add more world building, character building, lore, and all that jazz. Anyways, enjoy the read!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Mother,” Amity speaks up, trying to hide her surprise in her voice, “I did not expect you to be here today. I thought you had to attend an important meeting?”</p>
<p>Odalia looks at her critically with her sharp, golden eyes, her posture straight and uncompromising as she sits in one of the many brown leather chairs placed in the room. Her green hair was formed into her recognizable bun with not a single hair daring to mar her stoic face. Even her purple dress was without blemish or flaw, a classical style amongst witches with its puffy sleeves and fine silken cloth hugging her waist before widening below it. </p>
<p>Odalia raises her gloved hand and beckons her daughter closer, “I did not raise a daughter who lacks etiquette and tact. Would you kindly come closer and speak?”</p>
<p>“Of course, mother,” Automatically responds Amity. She steps into the study, ignoring the sinking feeling in her stomach as she steps ever closer to her mother. The familiar carpeted floor and the smell of old tomes failed to comfort the young witch as she stops a few steps away from her mother, her back straight and eyes forward. She notices that beside her mother was a small table with a floral-patterned kettle and teacup, no doubt filled with her mother’s favourite tea, concentrated hibiscus. Its intoxicating smell chokes the very air around her mother and causes Amity to feel nauseous. </p>
<p>Odalia from her seat looks slightly down at Amity, checking her from head to toe. Amity suppresses a shiver as she tries to remain stalwart in not showing any sign of weakness. Abruptly, Odalia’s eyes snap forward and sharpen, looking directly at her. </p>
<p>“Now,” Her mother’s tone laced with the authority of her station that beckons no excuse, “It seems that you have a question to ask, Amity. Is that true?”</p>
<p>“Yes, mother,” Replies Amity, forcing herself to maintain eye-contact with her mother, “I was wondering how you arrived so early as I heard from Edric and Emira that you were conducting business at a neighbouring city.”</p>
<p>Odalia’s stern visage was broken, albeit only for a short moment. A slight twitch of her mouth upwards before saying, “That is correct. Your father and I were brokering a deal with a company in the city and we were forced to stay longer than we anticipated, much to my dissatisfaction,” Odalia’s eyes harden slightly, causing Amity’s heart to quicken. </p>
<p>“There were those that decided against the deal that I proposed, saying that it requires major revision. Of course, after they had some time to realize their mistake, they clamored back and accepted the deal.”</p>
<p>Amity could only nod, taking a quick breath before speaking, “And what of Father? I did not see him when I arrived.”</p>
<p>Odalia takes a sip from her tea cup before speaking, “Your Father stayed behind to organize everything leftover so I was able to leave ahead of schedule,” The sharp clack of porcelain caused Amity to flinch before Odalia looks critically at her, “And when I heard from Lilith that my daughter was missing, what else to do but quicken my pace?” </p>
<p>“So,” Odalia places her tea cup back to the small table and directs her full attention on the young witch, “I will ask you again and I will not repeat myself a third time, where were you this morning, Amity Blight?”  Her tone was direct, critical, and rigid. With each word, Amity could feel herself wanting to curl up and hide but she knows that she could not. That is not what she was taught by her mother. </p>
<p>“I was going to the market to retrieve supplies for my school project,” She forced herself to say. Her mother raises an eyebrow, causing Amity to continue, “I was running out of materials for my summons, so I went to the market to purchase some more.”</p>
<p>“And your disappearance?”</p>
<p>“I was…caught up with a disturbance in the market.” Amity internally winces at the half-truth and sees her mother close her eyes, taking a breath to collect herself before opening them.</p>
<p>“A disturbance?” Odalia managed to say in a strained and calm manner. “I was not informed that my daughter’s disappearance this morning was a result of another’s foolishness.” </p>
<p>“Don’t worry, mother, I was unharmed.” Reassured Amity but the look on Odalia’s face dictates otherwise, causing her to continue, “I was just caught up in a commotion caused by the Council’s Coven when they tried to arrest some street performers.” </p>
<p>A slight grimace develops on Odalia’s face as she ingests the information, “Street performers, you say? And from what I can infer, members of a Coven that are sworn to uphold our every action somehow were unable to arrest some attention-seeking miscreants?”</p>
<p>“No, mother. They were not.” Amity held her breath as her mother abruptly stood up from her seat, towering over the young witch. She keeps her eyes on her mother as she walks towards the large stained-glass window, no doubt creating plans to deal with this piece of news. Amity dared not to move as she did not want to incite further ire that was directed at her.  </p>
<p>“Tell me, Amity, what is our name?” The sudden question surprising Amity. However, she regains her composure quickly, already knowing the answer to such a question.</p>
<p>“We are Blights, Mother,” Recites Amity, the reply burned into her memory.</p>
<p>She sees her Mother develop a small, prideful smirk on the corner of her mouth, “And what does that name mean?” </p>
<p> “It means that we are one of the most powerful houses on the isles, renowned for our magical ability and expertise.” Amity once again recites. This was one of the tenets that her mother reminds her of constantly. As the youngest of the Blight siblings, she was duty bound to uphold her family image and excel in anything she was told to do. Mediocrity was never accepted and anything that was out of line was put down immediately.</p>
<p>“And our station?” Amity’s ears twitched. This part was rarely mentioned in Odalia’s near constant addresses, but it was always shown whenever they travel.</p>
<p>“Due to our status, we are privy in governing the isles as part of the ruling Council.” It was not hard to notice the subtle glances and whispers of the towards her family. The want for power and status summons many witches towards them, always attempting to curry their favour and bless them with <em>something</em>. The privilege of being a member of the ruling Council merely amplifies such desire.</p>
<p>The Council is the ruling government of the isles, done away with the throes of monarchal rule centuries ago with the name of their last king lost to the mercy of time and losing the last vestiges of an ancient empire. Responsible for the administration of the lives of several witches, they hold immense influence in how matters are settled or carried out. As such, they are both revered and scorned, even moreso when the seat on a council is involved.</p>
<p>There are 13 seats, each seat governed by a witch recognized for their strength and skills. Most of the seats are filled with powerful coven leaders, a sight reminiscent to the traditions of yore. With their knowledge and skill in their respective field of magic, they are given the right to direct how a witch proceeds in their magical study and to nurture the abilities of the next generation. Others are filled with business leaders that either charm or bribe their way into power. Cutthroat and manipulative, they are the dagger of the isles, responsible for the continual flow of goods and information. The Blights were mainly the latter, a family that manages the affairs of several trade deals and services but could still rely on their prowess in several types of magic. With Odalia Blight as the matriarch, she holds the lives of many witches in the palm of her hand and expects the very best from those under her. That goes double for her children. </p>
<p>“That is correct, Amity,” Odalia finally turned to her daughter, a small smile plastered on her face and hands folded over one another. Odalia walks over to Amity and places one finger on her chin, tilting it upwards so that she can fully direct her attention. </p>
<p>“And tell me, Amity,” She says in a sickly-sweet voice, causing Amity to send a shiver down her spine, “What happens to those that meddle with the affairs of the Council?”  </p>
<p>“They…,” The gleam in her mother’s eyes was unnerving and Amity could see the fire burning behind the irises. “They are to be arrested and tried, Mother. Any witch that conducts unwanted solicitation towards Council members and their relations are to be arrested for their conduct.” Amity has seen herself many a witch who tried to interfere with the affairs of her parents, only to be dragged away kicking and screaming at the top of their lungs. </p>
<p>“As they should,” Confirms Odalia. She then cups her hand to the underside of Amity’s chin, gripping it with enough strength so that Amity cannot turn away, “We are above these witches, Amity. That is why we must be strong, to be better than anyone who stands in our way. If anyone dares to spite us, it is a blow to our pride and name. That is why these things must be done. Do you understand, Amity?”</p>
<p>“Of course, Mother.” Was there no other answer?</p>
<p>“I don’t think you do,” Responds Odalia, causing Amity to widen her eyes. “You are a Blight and yet you were so careless to allow common miscreants mishandle you.” The grip on Amity’s chin tightens as Amity winces in discomfort. </p>
<p>“And from what I can tell, you are lacking in your studies.” Amity tried to refute but Odalia merely glares. “Do not start such nonsense. I am not blind Amity; I know that you are failing in creating your Abominations lately.” The steel in Odalia’s voice could break solid stone.</p>
<p>With a scowl, Odalia lets go of Amity’s chin with a flick, causing Amity to nurse her aching jaw. “I know that you have been lately trying and <em><strong>failing</strong></em> in producing an Abomination worthy of Hexside. If you have applied yourself harder in your studies and withdrew yourself from distractions, you would not have needed to go to that marketplace and make yourself look like a fool.” Odalia then proceeds to walk away from Amity with her hands held behind her back, giving a noticeable huff that incites the young girl.</p>
<p><em>‘A fool?’</em> Amity thinks with memories of the early morning clouding her mind. She balls her hands into fists and her body starts to tremble with her eyes cast to the floor. She can feel the same wrath from the early morning begin to emerge, the spark spreading throughout every part of her body. She wants to refute her Mother. To scream out loud. To say that she has been working from dawn to dusk to tackle this problem since day one and has no right to belittle her. </p>
<p>But she can’t.</p>
<p>She feels herself unclenching her fists, the tension losing its hold over her. She forces herself to bottle her emotions the same way she has been doing ever since she was old enough to cast her first spell. She pushes everything to the farthest corners of her mind. Every spark. Every intrusive thought. It was then that she can feel the fire in her soul dim, flickering in the failure that she must accept. </p>
<p>“I will be sending Lilith later this evening to help alleviate this problem.” Amity looks up and stands at attention to see Odalia at the doorway of the study, typing away on her scroll and not even directing her full attention to Amity. Odalia’s eyes were lidded and a frown was ever present, no doubt contacting Lilith as she speaks “She will be instructed to tutor you in your subjects as well as versing you in more advanced lessons that you <strong>WILL</strong> succeed in.” Her mother then looks up from her scroll, looking Amity directly in her eyes and revealing the iron behind Odalia’s visage.</p>
<p>“Am I understood?” Asks Odalia, the answer being clear as day.</p>
<p>“Yes, mother.” Replies Amity, the energy from the day washing away in the tide of lethargy that stems from her mother. </p>
<p>Odalia’s eyes narrow at the response and she puts away her scroll. “You will also be reprimanded for your improper behaviour and actions this morning. Until you can summon Abominations again and return to being top f the class, you will be confined to the manor on the weekends. Additionally,” Amity ‘s ears twitch at the rising shrill in Odalia’s voice, “You are expected to come straight home after school. No distractions. No detours. Of course, your extracurriculars are exempted and I do expect superb results at the end of the term. Am I understood?”</p>
<p>“Yes, Mother.” Her only reply, straight and monotone. Amity suppressed the need to grit her teeth as she begins to think of the sheer amount of work that would be done to satisfy her mother. She already has the library readings with the witchlings in the week so what else could be added to her schedule? Amity can already feel the headache and stress build within her by just thinking of the lost time for herself. </p>
<p>“You are now dismissed,” Odalia says curtly, causing Amity to return from her thoughts. Odalia raises her hand and directs it up the staircase, “Now, would you kindly go to your room? Lilith will be arriving in the hour and I will not have my daughter be caught unawares again.”</p>
<p>Amity nods, not wanting to attract anymore ire from her mother. She walks past Odalia and trudges her way towards the stairs, each step reminding her of the burden that she now carries. As she ascends, the rhythmic knock of object on object serves to remind her of the bag slung on her back and the secret that it carries. She was lucky that her mother didn’t question what was in her bag, but she has no qualms that Odalia already has an inkling of an idea. The wrong idea as she didn’t mention her meeting with Mora, Luz’s aunt if her outburst was correct, Eda, this chaotic whirlwind of a character, and Luz herself.  </p>
<p>With just a few chance encounters with this bombastic duo and Mora, Amity was sure that there was more to them than what meets the eye. Mostly for Eda and Mora though, as Luz seems like a person who wears their heart on their sleeve. Although, there was a whisper in her mind that is telling her that she must not tell her mother about them. She inclined to agree as she remembers Eda’s aversion to the Blight name. </p>
<p>Eda’s reaction was akin to many she heard when her parents forced her to attend one of their many tours to the Conformatorium when she was younger. They said that it was a good reminder of what their responsibilities were and a stark example of what was not tolerated on the isles. The hisses and remarks directed at them, at her, haunted her dreams for many nights. Now, they were a mere echo of what they were but at times, when the nights grow long and when the stars dim, she can hear their them. Their jeers. Their screams. </p>
<p>She stops and shivers, mere steps away from her room. She rests herself on the doorframe and takes deep breathes, trying to refocus. </p>
<p><em>‘C’mon, Amity,’</em> She reassures to herself, <em>‘Get a hold of yourself. You already made a mess of yourself earlier. Don’t do it again.’</em> She winces in pain and looks down, seeing that her left hand was clenched tightly into a fist. She releases it to see tiny splotches of crimson grow from long-formed calluses and were beginning to fill her palm. With a sigh, Amity walks into her room and wipes away the pool of blood with a cloth, allowing Amity to close the wounds with a bit of healing magic.</p>
<p>Like clockwork, Amity puts her bag on the wide windowsill and changes from her outdoor wear to her training wear; a stark white long-sleeved coat over a striped purple and blue long-sleeved shirt, durable blue jeans, and a set of googles strapped to her side. Her clothing, while looking mundane, were enchanted with the ability to reduce impact from stray magic projectiles and it was one of the best training equipment for young witches. However, it costs a fortune to get one piece, let alone one set. A fortune happily paid for by her parents so that their precious daughter won’t be harmed from unforeseen mistakes that were surely from the instructor.</p>
<p>She walks to the windowsill and allows her mind to wind down. The excitement and stress from everything this morning comes crashing down and she feels like she can sleep from where she is. She can feel her eyelids droop and her breaths steady, appreciating the grey fog that rises from every exhale. In her near slumber, a memory begins to take shape within the haze. It was of someone, but she did not expect this outcome. It wasn’t her mother. Nor of Luz or Eda. But of the demon with eyes the colour of aged oak and skin like the evening sky. </p>
<p>Amity falls further into the depths of exhaustion and the memory becomes clearer with each passing second. However, it was not when Mora gave her gift, something that she has yet to open, but of the first meeting where she was atop her wolf, Lobos. Without the fear of the scarred wolf, Amity can clearly see Mora, but something felt off. It was Mora’s eyes that gave it away, eyes that have seen too much. They were hardened and embittered, as if they’ve watched the whole world burn. Just what could have happened?</p>
<p>She couldn’t finish the thought as her eyes flutter shut, letting sleep’s sweet embrace wash over her. In the corner of her eye, she sees a flicker of movement with footsteps light as snow. For a moment, she can see a familiar set of golden eyes, concern plain to see. She struggles to stay awake to meet the prowler, but she was met with a quiet shush. </p>
<p>“Go to asleep, Amity. You need all the rest you can get.” It was a voice that Amity knew instantly, but it was tinged with melancholy. </p>
<p>“Emira…?” Amity whispers quietly, her exhaustion winning over the anger of her sister intruding into her room. “What are you…”</p>
<p>“Hush, now” The warm cloth of her blanket is draped over her, causing Amity to unconsciously nestle into it, “You’ve had a long day. Save your energy for later.”</p>
<p>The last thing she swears she sees is Emira looking at her with a sad smile and a hand outstretched over her head.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>“Again, Amity.” A stern voice calls out. A grunt affirmed the order and the distinctive whine of materials combining fill the air. The mixture takes on a distinct purple colour as it swirls inside an ornamental clay pot, rattling as it picks up speed. As the mixture turns into a sludge, something begins to form. A large fist begins to form from the mire, slowly rising into an existence filled with snow and salt. </p>
<p>To the side stand two witches, one taller and one younger. The tall witch, a woman that exudes professionalism, stands behind the young witch, staff in hand and observing the efforts of their junior. This tall witch has on her a white cloak lined trimmed with gold and red with indigo hair spilling from the hood, both billowing from the chilling gusts of the mid-day. Her turquoise eyes were filled with calm, analyzing the efforts of the younger witch whose eyes were akin to a raging storm. In front of them lies a large field surrounded with banks of snow and trees where several cracked pots were pushed to the sides, their contents staining the snow.  </p>
<p>“Focus,” Called the tall witch, placing a hand on the trembling shoulder of the witchling. The witchling could only grunt as they tried to maintain the magic circle summoning the purple fist from the mixture. For a moment, the monstrous fist continued to rise from the pot until a mighty shudder went up and down the figure. The form lost its hold and the mixture exploded with a mighty force, covering the surrounding snow with dark purple goo, and cracking the pot that used to contain it. </p>
<p>In frustration, the witchling let out a small scream, tossing their goggles covered in dried goo into the snow. Their golden eyes radiated fury and their face was flushed with heat. It was not until a stern clasp of a pale hand on her shoulder brings the witch back into reality.</p>
<p>“Amity,” The soothing voice of indigo-haired witch calls from beyond the shroud of anger, “Let’s take a small break to reconsolidate.” Amity could only nod in agreement, moving away from the field and taking a seat near a table strewn with a hazardous pile of ingredients and earthenware. She takes a gloved hand and runs it through her green hair, her mind in overdrive over her latest failure. </p>
<p><em>‘Just what am I doing wrong?’</em> Amity asks herself. This was her seventh attempt in a row that ended in failure, each one making her more frustrated than the last and making her none the wiser in what she was doing wrong. With each attempt, she asks herself what was wrong, double-checking the ingredients put in and substituting ingredients she thought were the cause of her failure. However, each failure led to more disappointment and she can feel the unseen glare of her mother intensify from within the manor. She knows that her mother does not oversee these training times, but Amity knows deep within her mind that her mother knew of her continued mistakes. </p>
<p>A bottle of water brings her out of her ruthful spiral, taking it with a thanks and appreciating the coolness going down her throat. Amity gives a small smile as the blue-haired witch takes a seat next to her, a bottle of water in her own hand. </p>
<p>“Thank you, Ms. Lilith,” Amity says, taking another drink from her bottle. She sees Lilith return the smile and her eyes soften.</p>
<p>“You are welcome, Amity.” Lilith gives a reassuring pat on her shoulder as she looks outward at their recent attempt. “You’re getting better. I’m sure that the next attempt will be more of a success.”</p>
<p>Amity gives a small scowl at the attempted praise, “You don’t have to lie, Ms. Lilith. I know you mean well but I know I haven’t been improving as well as I should be.”</p>
<p>Lilith frowns and points at her recent attempt, the growing puddle sizzling with leftover magic, “On the contrary, I think you did improve albeit a bit smaller than what you may have anticipated.”</p>
<p>Amity looks at Lilith’s determined eyes with confusion, “What do you mean? I mean no offense but didn’t see anything different.”</p>
<p>“That’s because you were too focused on maintaining the arm, my fledgling.” Lilith creates a magic circle in the air with her staff and creates an image in the air recreating the scene from before: an arm rising from the pot. </p>
<p>“We can see that your Abomination was able to retain it’s form longer than any attempt so far,” Lilith points out. “The saturation of the mixture was also richer in hue than the last attempt, allowing at least some visual improvement.”</p>
<p>“If you say so,” Amity says dejectedly, still unconvinced with the results. Lilith opens her mouth to say something before her scroll puffs into existence blaring with noise. Lilith’s eyes narrow and purses her lips as she grabs the scroll and looks at the message. </p>
<p>“What is it?” Asks Amity out of curiosity. She sees Lilith mutter a curse under her breath as she stands up in a hurry. </p>
<p>“I’m afraid that I have to cut this short, Amity. I’ve been called away for an emergency and I have to go immediately.” </p>
<p>Amity nods, understanding what must be done. The mantle of a leader is heavy, and Lilith was no exception to this rule. As one of the leaders of the Council’s Coven, she is responsible in managing the affairs of the many members of the Coven as well as enforcing the will of the Council. To be a member of the Coven, you must be specially selected by a ruling member of the Council and prove their worth in several trials testing their magical prowess. As per the rules, Lilith was chosen by a previous member of the Council and succeeded in their trials, eventually rising to the top of the Coven. </p>
<p>As members of the Council’s Coven, they are also granted access to benefits restricted from other witches, mainly access to ancient tomes of magic that were said to pre-date the Age of Emperors. However, there are rumors of shadowy dealings within the Coven as once or twice a month, there would be unexplained disappearances of members. Of course, they deny any rumor that pertains to this. </p>
<p>“We shall resume your training tomorrow, Amity.” Lilith says as she mounts her staff. “Remember to practice and don’t be disheartened from your failures. Remember, the mountains were not made in a day.” With that anecdote of wisdom, Lilith flies off with a mighty blast of wind, causing the surrounding snow to rush out and fall as quickly as it came. </p>
<p>Amity grumbles, knowing all too well what Lilith means. Growing up, it was one of the many pieces of advice Lilith would give to her when Amity hit a block in her magical training and needed a motivational push. Training with Lilith, while arduous, were always a welcome break from the busyness of her school life and the expectations of her mother as she can freely let loose with her magic. From fire to healing, Amity was tutored by Lilith to at least know the basics of several types of magics to amplify her main magic. </p>
<p><em>‘A master of none, better than a master of one.’</em> Remembering another piece of Lilith’s wisdom that Amity can agree with. The amount of times she was able to excel in her classes by subtly mixing magic were numerous, helping her earn a spot as top of her class. Except for one. </p>
<p>Abomination summoning was a prestigious course to get into and it was hard to master. Many great witches came from this vocation of magic and it was no surprise that her parents basically pressured her into the course. While initially reluctant, Amity surprised herself by working hard enough to obtain excellent results in the class and perform well in summoning smaller constructs. However, it all leads back to where is stumped. The assignment given by her professor didn’t technically state that a large construct was required for it, but her pride and her parent’s expectations demanded more. </p>
<p>Larger constructs were hard to summon and even harder to control as there was a reason why they are typically reserved for the final year of study in the academy. However, Blight honour, so stated by her mother, states that she must be able to master this magic in this year. Emira and Edric had to do something similar with their illusion magic but there was no need to concern as the twins were able to quickly grasp the intricacies of the magic. </p>
<p>So here she was, one Amity Blight, attempting yet again the summoning of an Abomination. Lilith did caution her before that consecutively casting such higher level magics increases the demand each time but, in the moment, Amity could only care about summoning the construct. Much like before, a fist rises from an urn, rising faster than before. However, it only reached the top of the arm before collapsing into itself yet again, causing Amity to grit her teeth.</p>
<p>“Back to the drawing board,” Amity mutters to herself, stomping her way back to the table to assemble another mixture from the table. She picks up a couple of bottles before noticing her bag that was left unattended and forgotten to the side. Remembering what was inside and thankful that Lilith was not her siblings, Amity puts the ingredients back on the table. She rummages into her bag and picks up the parcel given by Ms. Mora, wrapped tightly in papyrus and twine. She carefully unwraps it and removes the brown lid and was met with a various array of exotic materials. As promised, she was also able to retrieve the list of ingredients and procedures from the very bottom of the box. </p>
<p>“Woah,” Amity gingerly picks up a mossy root with several attached leaves, the once bright colours muted with age. She checks the list, skimming until she sees the image with its associated name, “Alraune root? Never heard that one before.” She puts the item back into the box and picks up another one, this time a glass jar that was tagged and filled with a white powder.</p>
<p>“Ground harpy talons?” Reading the tag. This one she has heard of before from her classes. It was said that they were medium sized creatures more bird than witch, inhabiting the peaks of the Knee before being overhunted for their vibrant feathers and competition with other predators. They were gone way before she was born and maybe even her parent’s time.</p>
<p>With the initial excitement dying down, Amity thinks critically at the situation now. If all these ingredients were all from extinct creatures, then just how old is Ms. Mora? Even in that tiny shack of hers, there was no way that she stayed there forever with her wolf, Lobos, as her only companion. Something doesn’t add up.</p>
<p>Another thought comes to bare and it causes Amity to pause in her sorting of materials. If these materials worked as intended, she would be able to summon an Abomination that should work as intended. However, if she were to use something given by a stranger, would it even be her own victory or would it be a hollow one?</p>
<p>Amity gulps at the thought. Her pride was saying that she should be ashamed of herself for allowing help from others and essentially taking all the credit from another person’s effort. Another side of her was to just give in and accept this gift. Take the easy route and spare yourself the humiliation. </p>
<p>Her heart thuds and feels looks at the strewn ingredients in a new light. With just 2 weeks before the submission of her work, is this something that should be done?</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>The final school bell of Hexside rings, signaling the three days since Amity’s training session with Lilith and despite her reassurance, Lilith was not able to help attend Amity in improving her Abomination studies. Something major happened and it required more time than Lilith and Amity anticipated. Amity was surprisingly okay with this, allowing her to think at her new problem that arisen. </p>
<p>If she were to use freely the ingredients, it wouldn’t be her victory, it would just be a crutch. However, she was no closer to solving the ever-surmountable wall in her studies and it was showing in her stride in Hexside. Students moved to the side when she walked down the hall, none wanting to incur the wrath of an angry Blight on the prowl. All except for three people, two of them were her siblings. However, ever since the fiasco in the morning of the weekend, Amity has been active in her efforts in avoiding them even more then usual. The only time that Amity ever saw them was when she saw Emira entered her room back in the weekend which raises another question for another time. </p>
<p>The third person was probably the only one with enough courage to talk to her. </p>
<p>“Jeez, Blight, what’s gotten your ears in a twist?” A familiar pink haired tri-clops barged into her side, wrapping an arm around Amity’s shoulders. “You’ve been uptight for the past few days. What’s up with that?”</p>
<p>“I don’t want to talk about it, Boscha.” Amity replies flatly, not bothering to look at her. “Shouldn’t you be bothering someone else at this time?”</p>
<p>“I would but I didn’t feel like it. Even half-a-witch didn’t seem like a good target.” </p>
<p>“Really?” Trying to humor Boscha, “Then why are you here then?”</p>
<p>Boscha raised a hand in defence, “Sheesh, someone has more bite today. I just came to see what has been bothering my friend, is that too much to ask?”</p>
<p>Amity huffed in apparent agreement. Friend was putting it lightly, more like forced acquaintance. Amity already tried to avoid the crowd Boscha attracts but she can’t fully ignore the girl or else her mother would throw a fit. </p>
<p>“However, I have even more important news to share with you,” Boscha removes her arm from Amity and summons her scroll, causing Amity to raise an eyebrow.</p>
<p>“Penstagram again? Did you come to show me another one of your posts with a bunch of likes?”</p>
<p>“Normally, yes” Boscha replies, “But this is more important.” She practically shoves the scroll into Amity’s face before Amity has a chance to stop her. However, the video that Boscha plays causes Amity to stop and wonder at the footage. It was Eda performing again, her staff whirling in the air before summoning another spectacle while King scampered around doing small tricks. </p>
<p>“These guys have been playing all over the town these past few days,” Boscha says with a hint of restrained excitement. “Apparently, they pop in and out of the public eye before doing another big spectacle and they don’t come often. Some students said that they are incredible to see and it was the talk of the school! It would be a waste NOT to go! C’mon, want to join me and Skara?”</p>
<p>“I…,” Amity pauses. The footage continues playing but there was a distinct difference from before. </p>
<p>“Boscha, are these the only two that do these kinds of things?” </p>
<p>“Hmm?” Boscha looks at her scroll, “What do you mean?”</p>
<p>“Well,” Amity must word this carefully. If word got out that she knows these people personally, what would happen to her and Eda’s life?</p>
<p>“Are these the only two performers? It would be kind of hard to attract a large crowd with just these two.”</p>
<p>“Well,” Boscha adopts a thinking face, “Now that you mention it, some students said that there was a performer in a fox mask in the earlier performances but they just disappeared over the course of a few days. Apparently with each performance with Fox Mask over here, they would look into the crowd for someone before giving up and not having as much energy as their partner.” Boscha gives a helpful shrug, “Don’t know what happened afterwards though. Probably got scared or something.”</p>
<p>Amity, however, was beginning to worry. With only the few interactions she had with the human girl, Luz would probably miss an opportunity to perform. Just what happened? However, the rising stress of receiving this news coupled with the struggles of her repeated failures of Abomination summoning causes Amity to sway in the hallway. </p>
<p>“Woah,” Boscha grabs Amity by the shoulders, keeping her in place, “You okay? Do you need to go to the Nurse’s office?”</p>
<p>“I’m fine,” Amity says strongly, ignoring the dizziness in her head. “Nothing a good walk outside can’t fix. See you later, Boscha.” Without even letting Boscha get another word in, she walks briskly away, ignoring the surprised yelps of stray students in her way and missing the concerned look of a certain green-eyed witch in the masses. </p>
<p>After retrieving her outdoor wear, she makes her way to a place that she can get away from the stress of life and just think. It was outside the school grounds, but it was easy to get to without any hassle. She shouldn’t get in trouble with her mother either as she was out on another excursion for the Council for the day, meaning that Amity can at least unwind for the day.</p>
<p>She reaches her destination, a cliffside by the edge of the school’s forest that overlooks the ocean. The crashing of the waves along the walls of the cliff was soothing to Amity and she lays down on a tree near the edge, appreciating the site of falling sun. </p>
<p>She was not sure how long she was here for but a rumbling in the forest brings her out of her thoughts, causing her to jump and prepare herself for spell casting. It was not until she sees a lumbering figure with a familiar coat of brown fur and a scarred eye that she stops.</p>
<p>“Lobos?” A slight twinge of fear runs through Amity as the wolf raises its head to her and begins to walk over. She slowly calms down, reminding herself that Lobos will probably not hurt her, even though she only met the animal for one day. “What are you doing here?”</p>
<p>A low growl was their only reply as it walked up to Amity and lays itself down on the ground, staring into the ocean not unlike what Amity was doing. </p>
<p>“Huh,” was her only reply, “I guess you want to relax too.” Amity lays down too but with a bit more apprehension, all too aware that a very violent animal was right next to her. Amity made a tiny squeak of terror when she felt a weight fall on top of her legs and, when noticing that it was Lobos, could only hold her breath. </p>
<p>“I…guess you’re pretty tired,” Amity carefully runs a hand through Lobos’ brown fur. It was soft and frilly, and she can feel the vast musculature beneath it. A low growl was its response, no doubt happy at the attention Amity is giving it. </p>
<p>Amity can feel herself relax. “I guess Mora works you very hard, doesn’t she,” She scratches behind the ears of the large wolf, “I can understand that. I’ve been up at to my head in work in this entire month.” </p>
<p>Lobos barks and instead of cringing in fear, she laughs. “Yeah,” Amity replies as she imagines the wolf’s words, “I guess I do.” </p>
<p>Amity lays her head on the wood and stares into the ocean, the orange glow of the sun reflecting off the water. She continues to brush her nails through the soft fur of the wolf, her barriers crumbling in the face of this weird companionship, “I just…it’s just been so overwhelming. For two weeks, I’ve been struggling to perform my summons. TWO weeks! Can you imagine?”</p>
<p>“And in just three days, I got lost in a storm, almost died, met three really cool people,” “Woof!” “Haha, fine, three people and a wolf. And to top it all off, these people are incredible practitioners of magic, more than I could ever be. Titan, one of them was even generous enough to give me the key to break past my limits, and what do I do?” </p>
<p>The wolf gives a deep growl, causing Amity to nod in agreement and sags her shoulders, “Yeah, I didn’t use it. Didn’t feel right to use someone else’s hard work and claim it as my own. It just didn’t feel okay for me to do.” She clenches her fist and catches a handful of fur, although, Lobos doesn’t seem to mind. “But what else am I supposed to do? Lilith says that I’m improving but I don’t believe her and this big assignment which determines a lot of my grade is due by the end of this month. Not to mention the expectations that are on my shoulders right now.” </p>
<p>“And then all this chaos comes right back to me! Luz apparently isn’t performing with Eda and I have a feeling it might be my fault. My mother seems to want to control how I do things to uphold everything. And to top it all off, I got angry at Emira and Edric! More than usual too.” Lobos lifts their head and looks right at her, causing Amity to brush the top of their head and around their ears. </p>
<p>“Emira and Edric,” Amity continues, letting the soft fur of Lobos’ face calm her down, “Are insufferable. Pranksters. Good-for-nothings. But they can be good people. I know that they were trying to help but what do I do? I yell at them at the top of my lungs, saying many nasty things. I’ve been avoiding them all day for the past few days and I’m not sure what to do?”</p>
<p>Amity can feel the tears well and Lobos comes closer, laying their head on Amity’s chest, “Am I a bad person?”</p>
<p>“You’re not a bad person, Amity.” A familiar voice responds behind her. Amity freezes, and Lobos moves slightly away from Amity, a low growl exhibiting from their maw. Amity wants to flee but she can’t, locked in place by the wolf. </p>
<p>A short girl with glasses takes a seat to the left of Amity and Amity could only stare as the newcomer allows herself to stare into the ocean. Her green hair slightly sways in the ocean breeze and their green eyes reflect the glowing hue of the dim sun. </p>
<p>“Willow?” The name rolls naturally off her tongue as if she were saying it for years. The green-haired witch turns her head and gives Amity a small but kindly smile.</p>
<p>“Hello, Amity.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hello from down here! I hope you enjoyed the read. I hope you like my Au's iterations of the introduced characters and the lore bits I've intertwined within the chapter. I decided to end it off where it is now before I decide to write another mega chapter by accident.</p>
<p>Anyways, please comment and leave kudos if you haven't already! Knowing that my work is being enjoyed makes me quite happy and any comments are appreciated. Anyways, until next time!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Dove</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Beneath their wings, a calm must be reached for none shall sully the messenger of peace.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Welcome back! It's awesome that we broke 100 kudos and over 1000 hits, and I must thank you for your support into this fic.</p>
<p>I hope you enjoy this next chapter as I decided to go for a different approach in the writing style in this chapter. It's more of a trial run to see if it works but I hope you like it!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Once upon a time, there were two girls as young as the first leaves sprouting from the melted snow, their energy as boundless as the open ocean. One had hair the colour of auburn and whose eyes held the radiance of the glimmering sun. Like most children her age, her mind was filled with wonder and she was jovial to a fault, a naivety matched by her molten temper. This was only exemplified the moment she was able to cast her first spell, a wide smile plastered on her face as she showed proudly to her world what she accomplished. And unlike before, the world smiled back as her parents, proper and composed, said that they were proud of her. With grace in her step, she would be guided by her parents to pursue the path of an accomplished witch, proclaiming to her world that she would make them proud. This path she sought for was filled with such wonder and luster that she drove herself further into her efforts. A drive that was further fueled with a chance meeting under the branches of an aged sapling, swaying in the wind from the salty breeze of the oceanside. </p>
<p>The other child had hair the colour of the deep ocean yet with a personality as gentle as the lilies of the gnarled forest, bending and swaying to the whims of the wind. Her green eyes often reflect no small amount of meekness to the outside world, shying away from the hidden dangers told through tales spun by both her fathers. Much to both her father’s dismay, the girl would hide away from other witches, preferring the company of the plants and bugs that danced to her tune. One day, much like any other day, her fathers brought her out into the world of magic, stone, and noise, wanting to ease their growing fear of a sheltered child. Yet, the child would not agree to the wishes of her guardians. So, as any child would do, she shut her eyes, finding comfort in the familiar black hiding the troubled green. </p>
<p>However, unlike any other day, when she opened her eyes, she was not met with the worried smiles of the familiar. No, when she opened her eyes, she was met only with the shuffling unknown with shrill sounds rising all around her, drowning the little girl in fear. There was no firm hand to guide her, no one to look up to and see a warm smile that would steady her rapid pace. So, she did what any child would do in the face of fear and unknown danger. She ran. Running far away from the agony of noise that surrounded her and closing her eyes so that she can feel some semblance of familiarity. With each passing step on solid stone, she can hear the world slowly soften around her and when there was only silence, she stops. But now, as she takes in the world around her, she was only met with the lush green of an unknown forest and the songs of insects rising in paired symphony.  </p>
<p>Nevertheless, she was unperturbed. Her eyes marvel at the pristine flora and walks where her feet want to take her; she always found the company of plants better than people. Granted, the thought of returning to her parents lingered in her mind so she resolved herself to venture further into the forest, hoping to find an exit. Each subsequent step brings a brand-new thrill for the reclusive girl as she treads upon a familiar yet foreign domain that is filled with prospering life. She can hear the rustling of the leaves and feel the crunch of the grass through her boots, eliciting a delightful shiver down her spine and a giggle from her. For any sensible witch, to enter these domains always carry the weight of danger, even more so when one is unprepared.  But she remains unafraid. She remembers the skills her dad taught her, no matter how little it amounted to. So, with one foot in front of the other, steps forward once more, and was assailed by a bright light. </p>
<p>She blinks and rubs her eyes, waiting for the dots to fade away from her eyes. When she was able to fully look where she was, she gasped. In front of her was a clearing that was surrounded by the dense wood of the forest with the very ground meeting its end with a point. The ground was littered with stone and dirt but little grass, as if it were worn away. Bits of root managed to intertwine with the dirt, cascading in areas like waves to the sea. In the center of all of this was an aged tree, much older than any other in the forest. She walks up to the tree and closes her eyes, placing a hand on the darkened bark and, unknowingly, sending a thrum of magic through its veins. The smallest of shudders elicits a smile from the witch; the tree was healthy and was telling her so many things! </p>
<p>She opens her eyes and was immediately met with another, green meeting gold. With an ‘eep’, she ducks away, her back facing the elder bark. Her heart was racing from the surprise as she didn’t think there was other creatures here! To her racing mind, she thought it was another beast as told by her father, one that could drain the magic and eat her up! However, she gave pause, hearing the distinct sound of, crying? She stands from her hiding spot and peeks into the other side, careful to only allow a small portion of her face to be seen. With only a little glance, she sees a small, brown-haired girl huddled into a ball and shivering with little streams of tears slowly falling down her face. </p>
<p>As quiet as a ghost, she whispers with restrained fear, “A-Are you okay?” The brown-haired girl jumps and whirls around to see who caused the sound, revealing her golden eyes darting in fear. She raises an arm weakly and quickly wipes away the tears staining her face. </p>
<p>“P-Please don’t eat me! I don’t taste good,” The golden-eyed girl pleaded, her voice trembling in unbridled fear and turns her head away to face the endless horizon. The green-eyed girl could only just tilt her head in confusion, puzzled by what this other girl said. </p>
<p>“But I’m not hungry,” She replies the rather befuddled girl, eyebrows furrowed as she tries to imagine why this other girl would eat her. She was not a beast! The other girl could only snap back and finally focused on the green-eyed girl, her golden eyes widening at the revelation.</p>
<p>“You’re,” The other girl gulped as she calms down, “You’re a witch. Like me.”.</p>
<p>“What else would I be?” Her ears slightly flickered in confusion at the insinuation. However, she gives a hand to the wide-eyed girl still lying on the ground, “My name is Willow. What’s yours?”</p>
<p>With a bit of hesitation, the other girl takes gingerly takes Willow’s hand and helps herself up, dusting herself away in the process. “My name is Amity,” Replies Amity before she quickly looks away, a pout on her face, “And thank you for not eating me…” She says as quietly as she can. </p>
<p>Willow can only giggle, a small smile doting on her face, “You’re too silly. I’m not some big monster!” </p>
<p>Amity merely stomped her foot at the remark and crosses her arms in a huff, “But you could have been! I heard a lot of noise, so I thought something big and mean was coming here!”</p>
<p>“Is that why you were crying?” </p>
<p>“I WAS NOT,” Yelled back Amity, turning herself around quickly to hide her face going red at the indignation. </p>
<p>“Ow,” Willow winced at the scream, her ears dropping at the sound, “Sorry, I didn’t mean to be rude. I just wanted to cheer you up…”</p>
<p>At the pained voice, Amity turns around and upon seeing the sad face of Willow, felt a bit guilty, “No, I’m…” Amity looks down and fiddles with her hands as she tries to find the right words to say but her voice trails off, unused to such a weird situation. Amity purses her lips, trying to think what her parents would do but all that she was taught by them never covered anything like this.  When she looks up, Amity sees Willow looking at her patiently with eyes filled with curiosity, although Amity can see Willow’s ears slightly droop when Amity opens her mouth.</p>
<p>“I’m sorry,” Amity blurted out, the words coming out as fast as she can, “I just thought no one else comes here and I was all alone for a while.”</p>
<p>That catches the attention of Willow and decides to walk beside Amity and sat down on the ground, motioning Amity to do so as well as Willow rests her head on the wood, “Alone? Why were you here by yourself?”</p>
<p>Amity slumps against the wood, sliding down as she releases a tentative breath, “My siblings said that they wanted to show me something and they told me to go here with them,” Amity absentmindedly kicks a rock off the edge, “They dropped me off here and said they needed to get something so I’ve been waiting here like a good girl.”</p>
<p>“When was that?”</p>
<p>“I don’t know. So, while I was waiting, I was practicing my spells.”</p>
<p>“Ooh,” Willow says in amazement, “What kind of spells do you know? Can you do stuff like summon griffons or make things grow really fast?”</p>
<p>“Well,” Amity then prepares a distinct red spell circle in front of her and once the circle was completed, a plume of light shot out in a myriad of colour, bedazzling Willow in her seat.</p>
<p>“Wow…,” Willow was in awe. She never seen a spell like this before! Even the light spells she’s seen from other children paled in comparison to the crackling wonder of Amity’s spell.</p>
<p>“Yeah,” Amity can’t help but allow some pride meld into her voice, “Pretty cool right?”</p>
<p>“Yeah! It’s so cool that you’re able to cast a spell like that! Too bad I can’t do anything like that, I can’t even cast a spell yet,” Now it was Amity’s turn to turn her head in surprise as her eyes widen at the realization.</p>
<p>“You haven’t done your first spell yet,” This is the first time Amity has ever heard of a witch not being able to cast a spell yet. From what Amity can tell, Willow was about her age and any witchling that Amity was introduced to from her parents were able to cast at least a tiny light spell. If it were Amity, she would have kept it a secret as she knows that some witch families don’t like any of their brood being stunted in their magical growth. Yet, for some reason, Willow doesn’t seem bothered by this fact as she just plays with her thumbs. </p>
<p>“Yeah, I haven’t been able to cast anything yet. Watch,” Willow takes one of her hands and attempts to draw a magic circle into the air as Amity carefully watches beside her. With a steady breath, Willow directs her hand in a circular motion, creating a dull yellow light that follows Willow’s finger. Once the Willow completes the circle and takes her hand away, the magic circle fizzles from existence, leaving behind tiny unintentional sparks as it quickly disappears. </p>
<p>As if expecting the outcome, Willow let out a slight laugh, “See, Amity? Told you I can’t cast spells right. But don’t worry, my dads say that I should grow out of it soon, they guarantee it!”</p>
<p>Amity didn’t know what to say. According to some adults her parents bring over from time to time, seeing is believing and yet Amity is having a hard time believing what she saw. From what she could tell, Willow tried to cast a simple light spell before the spell ceased to exist. However, before she can think any further, a rustling sound could be heard above her and before she can react, something smacked the backside of her head with a solid thwack.</p>
<p>“Ow!” Amity cried out, rubbing her head, “What was that?!” Amity quickly gets up to her seat, all thoughts about the anomaly of Willow forgotten as she looks up to find the culprit that dares to hit her. Quickly looking left to right above her, Amity could only see the dense thicket of branches and leaves rustling in the wind with no sign of anyone daring to hit her. </p>
<p>“What’s wrong, Amity,” Willow asks beside her as she stands up from her spot, concern for the stranger growing as Amity continues to rub the small red spot on her head. Amity lets out a small growl before she gives a pout, eyeing the dense overgrowth suspiciously.</p>
<p>“Something smacked me in the head, and I think I know who it is,” Amity replies with a nasty glint in her eye, raising a pointed finger threateningly at the tree. </p>
<p>“EMIRA! EDRIC!” Amity shouts at the top of her lungs, forcing Willow to wince once again from the loud noise. “I KNOW YOUR UP THERE! GET DOWN HERE OR I’M TELLING MOTHER!”. Out of habit, Willow places her hand on the tree, seeking some pillar of support amongst the sound that reminded her of the shouts and clammer earlier this morning. The tree began to shake and shudder with greater force, causing the lush green leaves to part from the branches and fall unceremoniously to the ground. A flash of bright green from within the branches catches the attention of the raving Amity as her eyes narrow in anger. </p>
<p>“If you’re not coming down then I’m coming to get you!” Amity proclaims and without delay, wraps her arms around the trunk of the tree and climbs upwards towards the branches. At least, attempts to climb as Amity struggles to even lift herself up the ground, the strain evident on her face.</p>
<p>“Amity, are you sure you want to do this?” Asks Willow, gripping the wood with increasing worry as Amity begins to find her footing on developing cracks on the bark, slowly ascending with utmost care. “This seems kind of dangerous.” </p>
<p>“C’mon you two, this isn’t funny anymore,” Seemingly ignoring Willow, Amity continues to climb the tree with determination in her eyes. She almost reaches the apex of the tree and can nearly see through the thick assemblage of bark and leaves but she was still nowhere near close enough to determine if her siblings are there. Looking around, she sees a branch that was barely in reach of her and sees that this very branch would lead her towards the area she seeks. Clamping her legs, she stretches towards the target, struggling with each passing second to reach it.   </p>
<p>“Just where are you hi-DING!” As quick as it came, Amity finally reached far enough to grab the branch, only to snap it by accident and startling her from her focus. The abrupt shift in balance causes her to quickly fall back onto the trunk back first, slamming her head with a terrible crash. The pain flares and overrides her mind, causing Amity to see splotches of black dotting her vision and let out a hiss of pain. She tries to blink away the pain before she feels it. A shift. Amity eyes widen in panic as she realizes that her hold on the trunk was steadily loosening. She tries to tighten her leg’s grip on the tree until a wave of nausea rushes to her head, forcing her to finally let go and plummet to the ground below. </p>
<p>“AAAAHHH,” Amity screams, tumbling down and frantically trying to find a way to stop herself from hitting the ground. </p>
<p>“AMITY!” Willow cries out, the concern within her transforming into fear as this friendly stranger was about to greatly hurt herself. She tries in vain to reach out to the rapidly falling form of Amity, naively thinking that she would be able to stop Amity from crashing into the ground from where she is. However, something stirs within Willow as Amity falls, her screams ringing in Willow’s ears. A haze of green light emits from Willow’s eyes, capturing them as a rush of energy erupts from within her and flows from her outstretched hand to the ground. For the smallest of moments, there was nothing but the heightening shrieks of the falling child, as if the world left a question unsolved. </p>
<p>However, the ground rumbles and quakes with great force until it finally erupts, revealing thick vines, gnarled roots, and soft petals from the great below. They swiftly twist, tangle, and merge into a grand cushion, catching the plummeting Amity into the soft embrace of plants. The world has given its answer. </p>
<p>With a delirious groan, Amity opens her eyes, expecting herself to be writhing in pain in agony or worse, unmoving, or still. However, what she does look around and see is the mighty seat of flora around and below her and not the harsh companionship of the ground that would have struck her. Pushing through the ongoing pain, she touches a nearby petal, thinking that it was only a dream merely hiding the reality of everything. However, she can feel the softness and smoothness caress her fingers like a sweet lullaby, confirming to Amity that this was reality. But to what reality did she wake to?</p>
<p>She lets go of the petal and soon enough, the nature-created cushion of vines, roots, and petals slowly recedes back into the ground from whence it came, gently placing Amity on her feet so as to avoid jostling her further. She turns to Willow, mouth open to ask what just happened before she once again goes silent at the new sight. </p>
<p>Willow, eyes glowing with green ethereal light, stood deathly still beside the old tree with one arm outstretched and the other placing a hand on the cracked bark. If one could look closely on the bark, one could see a faint green glow radiate from these exposed areas thrumming with power as if it were a heartbeat. Amity slowly walked closer to Willow with equal parts curiosity and apprehension as she does not know what was happening with Willow and feared the worst. </p>
<p>Thankfully, a shuddering breath washed away any doubts within her mind as the eery light over Willow’s eyes slowly dimmed until there was none left, leaving behind a tired and confused Willow.    </p>
<p>“W-What happened?” Willow asks groggily, her eyes half-lidded. She clutches her head with her outstretched arm and lays on the tree, feeling a rush of nausea and dizziness stew within her. She could feel her heart rate calm down from a massive rush but what caused such a pace eluded her. She looks and sees Amity take a few steps closer to her with a slightly confused expression, her ears lowered to mid-neck. </p>
<p>“Do you,” Amity starts, a finger raised and curved as she tries to analyze and take in what just happened in the past few minutes. Granted, for as young as she is, she is limited to beyond the scope of something this unconventional. She shuffles for a bit before she starts again, “Do you not remember what happened?”</p>
<p>“What do you mean?”</p>
<p>“You know,” Amity gestures at her wildly, “The glowing eye thing? And the plants? Do you not remember?”</p>
<p>“I don’t think so. Did something happen?” Willow tries to remember what Amity is trying to refer to but all that she could remember was seeing her fall and everything before that. But anything after was a blank. “Are you hurt though? You fell pretty far.”</p>
<p>“I’m somehow fine. Not even a scratch.” Willow took a onceover, trying to see if Amity was telling the true. Somehow, true to Amity’s word, she was fine aside from the odd scuff and scratch from dirt and wood. Compared to what Willow was feeling, Amity looked completely fine.</p>
<p>“But how?”</p>
<p>“Well,” Amity moved aside and showed the churned earth behind her, the occasional hole appearing from place to place. Willow can only imagine what could have caused all this and what could have arisen from them.</p>
<p>“Woah.” Was all that Willow could manage, still either exhausted or dizzy to even care.</p>
<p>“Yeah, you should have seen it! Vines and stuff just sprouted out from nowhere and just caught me.” Amity excitedly points out. </p>
<p>“Really? That sounds kinda cool.”</p>
<p>“And I have you to thank for it, actually. At least I think you did with the glowing eyes and all.” Amity mumbles the last part, but Willow still catches it, causing the poor girl to be even more confused as she tries to figure out what makes her so special that she did something so <em>drastic</em>. </p>
<p>“What do you mean? I was right here, and I don’t look like a plant.”</p>
<p>Amity tries to respond but the sound of leaves rustling and crunching beneath something silences both girls, ushering their attention towards the sound. The increasing cries of warbled noise continues to rise with each second as Amity and Willow brace for whatever is approaching them. With a mighty scream, a lone figure bursts out of the thicket and crashes right into Amity and not Willow, forcing Amity into an unneeded tumble. Another figure rushes out of the thicket with similar urgency and rushes towards the very disgruntled Amity with whomever decided to tackle the poor girl.</p>
<p>“Ah, Emira, get off me,” Amity whines as she tries to pry off the figure holding her in a death grip and looking all over for injuries. The figure was a girl with dark-green hair that went down all the way to her waist and eyes the same colour as Amity but were more pronounced. The newcomer was dressed in a yellow dress with a matching skirt albeit having several small tears all over presumably from running into twigs than around them. </p>
<p>“Oh, Amity, are you hurt? We heard screams and we thought something happened so we came quick as we could,” The girl, Emira, says.</p>
<p>“Yeah, is everything all right?” The figure beside Emira, a boy from what Willow can tell, says. The boy was better dressed for the outdoors than Emira, sporting brown shorts that look tailored more for formal occasions but did its job well and a white shirt topped with overalls. His yellow eyes shone with equal parts worry and curiosity as he takes a turn picking and holding Amity up.   </p>
<p>“I’m okay you two, I promise. Also, Edric, can you please let go?” Replies Amity without a hint of snark that the twins were steadily receiving and getting used to these past few months. Edric promptly lets her go but keeps a stern eye on Amity, ignoring the other witch in the clearing.</p>
<p>“Then explain all these cuts and dirt on you!” Pointed out Emira. Although, Emira and Edric were not much different as Amity and Willow can see smudges of dirt on their legs and small cuts on their clothing. </p>
<p>“Yeah, and why are their so many holes here? Were you practicing magic again without us? You know how Mom gets when you do this!”  </p>
<p>“Well, no?” Amity’s left ear twitched oh so slightly, but her voice left something to be desired. Emira and Edric both give her pointed looks that causes Amity to cave in from the pressure, “It’s kind of hard to explain?”</p>
<p>“Try us,” They both say at the same time, crossing their arms in sync. </p>
<p>“Well…” Amity’s eyes briefly flicker to Willow before recentering her attention to the two, but the damage was done as Emira and Edric swiftly turn around and stare at her. </p>
<p>“And who is this?” Asks Emira, her eyes narrowed at the new prospect.</p>
<p>“She’s, uh, she’s…,” Amity tries to say something but her mind helpfully supplies that she just met this girl so she can’t seem to think of anything. Amity knows that she can’t reveal anything that happened here or else Emira and Edric might tell their parents what transpired here and get her in big trouble. </p>
<p>“I’m her friend.”</p>
<p>All three stare at Willow with an expression to explain so Willow takes a deep breath and continues, “Amity and I were just playing around here while she was waiting for you two. Although, we may have gotten out of hand so this,” She gestures at the rubble, the sight speaking for itself, “Happened. Please don’t be mad at her. We were just trying to have fun.”</p>
<p>Unlike Amity, Willow has a complete poker face, unerring in its ability to fool anyone if she tries but, in most cases, she feels bad in being dishonest. However, in this situation where Amity clearly looks uncomfortable, maybe Willow can bend a bit and help a stranger out. Although are they really strangers after all this?</p>
<p>Emira and Edric took their time to stare at Willow to decipher if she was lying or anything. No sign of hesitation or stuttering. Unfortunate but not unappreciated. Although, Amity was hiding something, it was plain as day, but that can wait for later. Now, there is something new that was just <em><strong>begging</strong></em> to be brought up.</p>
<p>Cheshire grins develop on both Emira and Edric as they slide over on both sides of Willow and grab hold of her gently yet firmly, making sure that she can’t escape from whatever they desire.</p>
<p>“A friend?” Emira starts, pure excitement showing on her face.</p>
<p>“Why didn’t you tell us that you brought a friend?” Edric adds with the same enthusiasm. </p>
<p>“Have you been holding out from us?”</p>
<p>“Yeah, why did you not tell us that you made a new friend?”</p>
<p>“Uh, uh,” Amity eloquently put, her eyes darting back and forth from Emira and Edric. </p>
<p>“Yeah, Amity wanted to play so she invited me here.” Willow thankfully covers for the tongue-twisted girl which allows Emira and Edric to brighten even more.</p>
<p>“Well this place simply won’t do,” Emira says, letting go of Willow only to grab onto Amity with the same amount of vigour, “This dainty little forest is definitely not somewhere we should stick around for long. C’mon, lets get going!” </p>
<p>As both girls get dragged away by the overly excited twins, the twins themselves were ecstatic at the discovery that their sister made a friend all on her own and not pushed on by their parents or themselves really. This may be a step in the right direction for her.</p>
<p>As for Amity, she held a small smile that Willow was willing to do this for her even though their first interaction was terrible. Passing through the woods with increasing speed, she takes some time to turn towards Willow and mouths something to her so that her siblings can’t catch anything.</p>
<p><em>Thank you</em>.</p>
<p>Thus, began a new story for the two witches, with their own chapters in life that grew their bond together and quickly became inseparable. However, their story that is not mine to tell amongst the chronicles as their secrets are theirs to tell. The only thing that is known is that the two kept their relationship a secret, hidden away from keen eyes to avoid attention and rumours. Rumours of a Blight and a so-called magicless no-name witch being associated with one another. For weeks and months, they would always meet and play together in hidden groves or seaside areas, content in telling stories or playing games. </p>
<p>However, every story must have an end. Theirs is no different.</p>
<p>A day, like any other day, started with a glimmer of anticipation, of wonder of what can happen. Whether it would be good or bad, the day must be seized and explored to the very unknown. For Amity, she would spend it once again with her newfound friend, Willow, in one of their special places. </p>
<p>For the vultures, however, they spend it ravaging the scraps.</p>
<p>Odalia and Alastor Blight swiftly and assuredly halted Amity from where she was going, citing that she was going away often. Amity tried to give excuses like she did so many times before, being aided by her siblings to hide away their antics. However, her parents were no fools for they know what truly is happening. </p>
<p>They shut the doors of Blight manor, darkening the halls of their abode. They revealed to Amity that they’ve heard of a witch associating with her and from their sources, was powerless, weak. Features that were unbecoming for anyone near a Blight. They revealed to Amity that they knew this Willow and quickly threatened that Amity should cut off their interactions from her on out. Amity tried to reason and beg, trying to persuade Willow was not all bad.</p>
<p>A silencing spell was all that was needed to shut her down.</p>
<p>Her parents gave Amity and ultimatum, go to Willow and say they can’t be friends anymore, or they will go in her stead. </p>
<p>It was an easy decision, a decision that was fraught with sorrow.</p>
<p>So, the day continued like any other day, Amity going to her special spot and seeing a bright-eyed and happy Willow waving to her. Amity continues to walk forward, not returning the wave and starts to tremble. Willow, sensing the misery within her friend, tried to ask what was wrong but was quickly swatted away. </p>
<p>“We can’t be friends anymore.” Amity says, pain, misery, and anger clouding her face.</p>
<p>Willow tried to ask why, tears developing on her eyes as she tries to determine why Amity would do this. She approaches Amity but was quickly met with a snarl.</p>
<p>“Stay away from me if you know what’s good for you, half-a-witch.” Two hearts break as Willow turns around and runs away, the tears freely flowing down her face. Amity was no better, her face red and her eyes bloodshot. She hears heavy footsteps behind her and feels a firm hand on her shoulder. </p>
<p>“Well done, Amity.” Odalia states. “Let us return home. I have someone who I want you to meet.”</p>
<p>Thus, ended the first chapter of a story left unwritten as both girls quickly drifted far apart, never reaching the spark as before. Amity with her unwavering determination and manipulative parents. Willow with her timidness and quiet disposition. Opposites sides of the spectrum that grew further with each passing year. </p>
<p>However, a story must reach its conclusion, no matter how far away it seems.</p>
<p>“Hello, Amity.” Two words rolled so easily off the tongue of the stranger beside her that Amity couldn’t believe it. Refused to believe it.  It’s been too long, and she should have hated Amity for all that the turquoise-haired girl has done to her. </p>
<p>Amity couldn’t breathe.</p>
<p>“Shh, it’s okay,” Soothes Willow, her green eyes softening at the tense form of Amity, “I’m not going to hurt you. Breathe, Amity. Breathe.”</p>
<p>“B-But why are you here,” Amity tries to say but only a strangled voice comes out. </p>
<p>Lobos growls at Willow, threatening her with their large teeth and sharp eye. Willow only giggles at the gesture. </p>
<p>“Don’t worry. I’m not going to hurt her.” That snaps Amity from her spiral. </p>
<p>“You can understand Lobos?” </p>
<p>“Well,” Willow gives a small smile at the wolf-like creature as she slowly raises a hand towards the creature. Lobos stops growling and sniffs Willow’s hand. Sensing nothing wrong, Lobos bows their head and allows Willow to place a hand on their head. “I wouldn’t say understand but I can guess. Lobos, though, is a nice name for a creature like him. Is he yours?”</p>
<p>“N-No…,” What is going on? Why is Willow acting like this? Where is the anger? The hate? Amity couldn’t understand, “Lobos isn’t mine. How can you tell that Lobos is a boy though? I though you studied plants and stuff?” Despite the growing cavern that is Willow and Amity over the years, Amity did keep tabs on her from time to time. When Willow got accepted into Hexside, she pursued something related to nature given her keen aptitude with plant magic. It suited her. That was something Amity could agree with.</p>
<p>“Plants aren’t the only thing I’ve studied, Amity. I’ve picked up some things from a couple beast-keeping courses I took as well as learning a few things from an upperclassman. Can’t remember her name though but she had a fishhook as an earring.”</p>
<p>“Huh.” Now that was surprising. Although, after giving it some thought, it shouldn’t be that surprising as Willow did have an inclination for environmental things. At least, more than Amity could ever know. The mention of an upperclassman with a fishhook earring, however, did ring a bell. Amity remembers seeing Emira bringing along someone with that unique description from time to time although whether it be for work or dragging them to a prank she’ll never know.  </p>
<p>“As for this guy,” Willow affectionally rubs Lobos on his head. Amity starts to worry that Lobos might bite Willow’s hand off, but she was pleasantly surprised when Lobos leans into the gesture, releasing a grumble of content. “Male members of his species tend to be much larger than their female counterparts and tend to have shorter tails. I must admit, I didn’t expect to see a Gelert here and one so vicious as well.”</p>
<p>“A Gelert?” </p>
<p>“Yeah, they were thought to be banished from the isles a while ago. Didn’t think there was one left.” Willow retracts her hand, causing Lobos to huff but allows him to return to his duty of standing guard. Willow sighs, melancholy evident in her voice, “The Boiling Isles has such a rich diversity of animals and plants, yet it is such a shame that we just end up banishing creatures from time to time. Its kind of messed up, don’t you think?”</p>
<p>“Yeah, I guess.” Amity hesitantly agrees. She can clearly see that Willow is deeply passionate in her work, something that Amity can sympathize with her. There was a certain thrill to see something you work hard and strive for finally succeed. The euphoria, the sense of pride. It just drives a person to do more. The same could be said for continual failure but Amity can’t seem to agree. </p>
<p>There was a lull in the conversation, the silence deepening the anxiousness within Amity. She can’t help it though. With the stress of the day crashing on her in waves and meeting someone that she cut off years ago was twisting her stomach into knots. She grinds her teeth and looks at Willow, staring at her as to figure out what is her ulterior motive. Willow happily smiles back, although with a much softer expression.</p>
<p>“Why?”</p>
<p>“Hmm?” The sudden question surprising Willow. She shuffles into a better seating position so that her entire body is facing Amity and Lobos. Willow can see Amity start to shake and clench her fist while Lobos lowers himself to Amity, acting like a comforter for the girl.</p>
<p>“Why are you doing this?” Amity tries to keep her voice level and controlled. She would not allow anymore of her wicked emotions to play a role in this. She needs to understand why Willow is doing such a thing.</p>
<p>“Do I need a reason?” Willow replies simply, no trace of mockery or sarcasm in her words or voice. Willow’s honest answer makes Amity slightly flinch, never expecting an answer like that.</p>
<p>“What do you mean?” Asks a confused Amity. “Do you really have no reason to help someone who pushed them away and hurt them for so many years.”</p>
<p>“If you put it like that then I wouldn’t have come here.” Willow put simply. Amity grips the hem of her shirt as she looks down, not bothering looking at the other girl. </p>
<p>“But I guess I did come here for you.” Amity whips her head up to see Willow, straight-faced with no intent of lying to her.</p>
<p>“What?”</p>
<p>“It’s the truth. Although, there were times that I wanted to just put you in your place,” Amity winces at the honesty. “In fact, you had this breakdown of yours a few months ago, I wouldn’t have come here.”</p>
<p>“Then what changed?” Willow shuffles for a bit, playing with her hands as she stews in her thoughts. After a few seconds, Willow refocuses and looks Amity directly in the eye.</p>
<p>“Do you remember the big blizzard we had a while ago,” Amity nods. How could she forget that day? She nearly froze to death and met two of the weirdest individuals on the isles, one of them being a human! Safe to say, that day was burned into her memory. </p>
<p>Encountering Willow that day was no exception. After all, seeing her sparked everything. </p>
<p>“I’ve never seen you that defeated before, Amity. I could see it in your eyes that day. You were in pain, whether you knew it or not. When I couldn’t find you later when you ran away, I thought the worst.” Amity lets out a bitter laugh. Willow was unaware of the sleepless nights and broken pots that littered her room at times. Her bloodshot eyes caked in pain and anger that can boil the ocean. Willow hasn’t talked to her in years and hurt her for far more but yet she can <em>see</em>. </p>
<p>“And don’t tell me that you’ve not been straying away from Boscha and her group for a while now. I haven’t seen you with them this year when they were harassing me in the halls.” Another bitter thing Amity regrets. Keeping with appearances was one of the core tenets of her status after all. When Odalia introduced Boscha to Amity all those years ago, she felt nothing. Nothing for the magenta-haired witch that craved attention and misery. It didn’t help that Amity gravitated to the girl each passing year, seeking some sort of companionship. It didn’t help that it turned into something else. </p>
<p>“Then why help me?” Whispers Amity, “After what I did and what I’ve done to you, I don’t deserve this. Any of this, really.” Lobos moves off Amity’s lap, allowing her to curl up into a little ball and stare at the glowing sunset and the crashing tides.</p>
<p>“Because everyone deserves some happiness.” Amity could hear Willow move closer beside her, accompanying Amity in her venture into the setting sun. Lobos moves so that there is nothing obstructing Amity and Willow, allowing himself the luxury of resting at their feet near the cliffside. </p>
<p>They sit in relative silence, enjoying each other’s company and the sound of the breeze whistling through leaves and trees. After so long, a nigh-impregnable barrier separating the two girls was slowly but surely crumbing down into the abyss.</p>
<p>“My parents might find out again, Willow.” Quietly warns Amity, “I don’t want you to get hurt.”</p>
<p>“Don’t worry, Amity, they won’t hear anything about this,” Reassures Willow but Amity can hear the worry in Willow’s voice. “Besides, we should be better at keeping secrets, right?” The teasing helps calm Amity’s frayed nerves. She already has several monumental secrets in the form of a human, an ancient demon, and a trickster. What could one more do?</p>
<p>Except deepen the consequence.</p>
<p>“Willow?”</p>
<p>“Yes, Amity?”</p>
<p>“I know I don’t deserve what you are doing right now,” Willow tries to say something to argue before Amity quickly shuts her down. She hugs her, wrapping her arms around the form of her friend. </p>
<p>“But thank you for what you’ve done.” Amity whispers back, holding back her tears. She can feel the confusion in Willow over what she is doing but soon enough, another set of arms wraps around her and draws her in closer.</p>
<p>“You’re welcome, Amity. Its good to have you back.” Amity couldn’t hold it in anymore. She cries. She cries out of sadness for what she’s done, for lost time, for grief. She also cries out in happiness of what she got back. Willow just holds her, content in letting Amity let out all of her emotional burdens in a rolling tide. </p>
<p>“Can we start over,” Asks Amity between choked sobs, “Start this off with a clean slate between the two of us?”</p>
<p>“I think I can, Amity.”</p>
<p>They hold onto to each for a while, reveling in the feeling. Memories of two young girls gleefully laughing and playing amongst the forest and the oceanside happily play in their minds, reminding them of simpler times. The tree above them sways in the wind as leaves fall and the ocean recites in melodies. It was peaceful.</p>
<p>“Thank you, Willow. I needed it.” Says Amity as she finally let’s go. She wipes her face free from tears as she smiles, truly smiles, to the one person that she can confidently say is a friend. </p>
<p>“You’re welcome, Amity. Want to head back home? It’s getting late.” Willow suggests and Amity is inclined to agree but an image of a certain brown-haired human pops in her head.</p>
<p>“Not yet,” A confused look dons on Willow, silently asking to elaborate. “I still have one thing left to do before we head home.” </p>
<p>“Oh? What’s that?”</p>
<p>“Well…,” Amity twiddles her fingers, surprising Willow at the gesture. A bashful Amity was new to Willow and she was curious what has gotten Amity in such a mess, “I need some help actually.”</p>
<p>“Help? Okay, I’ll try my best. What do you want to ask?”</p>
<p>“You see,” Amity is struggling to find the right words, but she pushes on, “There is someone that I recently met, and we’ve hit it off pretty well. Titan, I think I had never experienced something as fun before I met her, and I think we’re friends.”</p>
<p>Willow nods albeit very curious as to who riled Amity into manner, “Okay, what do you want me to help you with?”</p>
<p>“Advice, if you will. I haven’t seen this person in a while, but I heard that something was troubling her, and I don’t know if it was because of me or something happened to her so please help me.”</p>
<p>“Well,” Willow tries to comprehend what Amity, the rush of words circling in her head, “I think you should go visit her, whoever this person is. It’s not good to dwell on uncertainties and think of what ifs. Sometimes, you just must face it head on and deal with the consequences.”</p>
<p>A look of conflict was etched in Amity’s face as she takes in the advice Willow gave her. It seems so simple to do so but Amity cannot help but think of what could happen. Luz may find her overbearing. Luz may find it creepy. Amity doesn’t know. But she’ll never know if she doesn’t know go. She’ll never know if Luz is okay. </p>
<p>“Thanks for the advice, Willow. I think I know what to do.”</p>
<p>“That’s good to hear. Although, I must be honest, I’m a little curious to see this person you mentioned. Seems quite the character to do something like this to you.” </p>
<p>Amity can feel heat rise from her chest before she responds, “Well, I mean yeah, she is probably the craziest, most energetic person I have ever known but she seems nice and I am kind of worried about her.”</p>
<p>Willow laughs, “Now I have to meet her. She seems like a good person to meet.” </p>
<p>“I’m not sure that is a good- Hey, where’s Lobos?” Both Amity and Willow look around before seeing Lobos a fair distance away from them with a stick in his mouth drawing something on the ground. </p>
<p>“Lobos, what are doing? You can’t just leave us like that,” Amity with Willow in tow walks toward Lobos who drops his stick and gives a loud bark. </p>
<p>“Lobos, what are you-,” Amity stops when she realizes what Lobos has drawn. It was a glyph, a magic glyph from the way the shapes and lines were constructed. It was one of the magic glyphs Luz used during one of her performances with Eda, a teleportation glyph if she can recall correctly. </p>
<p>And Lobos, Willow, and herself have all stepped on it at the same time. </p>
<p>Amity could only let a brief warning before a hole with no end appears under them and forces them into the fluctuating reality. She can see Willow hold in whatever she has in her mouth while Amity just screams. Lobos, however, just looked uninterested. Although, his cobalt eyes looking at both her and Willow like they’ve made a grave mistake. </p>
<p>It felt both like an eternity and a short time before they landed in an area familiar to Amity. The warm glow of a fireplace stoking life in a cozy-looking room.</p>
<p>“W-Where are we?” Asks Willow, still dizzy after the fall. Amity knows but she doesn’t know if she wants to scream or laugh at the absurdity of the situation. </p>
<p>“Lobos,” A familiar voice cries out from outside the room. Willow freezes at the voice. Amity tenses. Lobos just lets out a loud gruff. Loud footsteps quickly approached the room before someone enters the room. “Where have you been? You can’t just leave Auntie Mora like that! You know how-,” The person freezes as they soon realize who was with Lobos. Brown eyes meet golden eyes. Brown eyes meet widening green eyes.</p>
<p>“Uuuhhhh, hi.” Luz waves but the squeak in her voice is not helping matters at all.</p>
<p>Amity waves back, a panicky smile was on her face, “Hi, Luz.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Not sure if it was a good idea to leave it here or end it earlier with Willow but I decided to end it where it was. Anyways, please leave a comment for your thoughts on the chapter and leave a kudos and such if you haven't yet as your support is awesome to see!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Crow</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Heed the words of the messenger; its wings bring forth turbulent times.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>All I have to say is to buckle up for the emotional roller.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Amity, for the life of her, could not thank whoever decided to put hoods on clothes. Amity also thanked Luz for wearing a hood over her head, the cloth covering the ears of the human. Although Luz’s choice of clothes was rather homely than what she would expect from an assistant performer, the baggy blue sweater and fuzzy pajamas looking soft to the touch yet frazzled, unlike the form fitting clothes from before. </p><p>“Amity, who is that?” Amity winced. That was precisely the question that she did not want answer right now but unfortunately, that is what must be done.</p><p>“Willow,” Amity takes a step to the side to allow Willow the chance to see Luz who stood straight as a pencil, eyes widened to almost comical proportions, “This is Luz, the…friend I was talking about earlier.” Amity cringed at the near-second pause in her response. Although, she can see Luz’s stiff form soften just slightly at the mention of the word ‘friend’, causing Amity to slightly smile. If she can make this situation easier for Luz, then might as well go for it.  </p><p>“Uh, hello,” Willow waved, swaying from the vestiges of nausea caused by the teleportation glyph, “Its nice to meet you, Luz. Amity here has been talking about you recently.”</p><p>“Oh, r-really,” A noticeable red crept up Luz’s neck as she fidgeted with her hands. Her eyes briefly looked at Amity before looking to the side, taking particular interest with Lobos laying near the fireplace with his head tucked in, “What did she say?”</p><p>“Nothing bad, I promise you,” Willow reassured, “She only mentioned about how you were the most excitable person she has ever met.”</p><p>“Willow!” Amity whined. She turns to Willow and jabs her with an elbow, hitting the witch on her side and causing her to laugh. Amit hears another, smaller, giggle and turns to find Luz covering her mouth trying to hold herself from laughing.</p><p>“Luz, not you too!”</p><p>“Sorry, sorry!” Luz wipes a non-existent tear, “Haven’t felt like this in a while. I needed a good laugh.”</p><p>Amity pauses, “Wait, Luz, what did you say? Are you feeling okay?” </p><p>Luz freezes, her eyes widening once again, “Did I say that out loud?”</p><p>“I think you did,” Willow affirmed as she tried to step closer, “Is there anything bothering you, Luz?”</p><p>“What, no!” Luz hastily waves her hands, trying to brush off what Willow said, “No, no, no. Me? Being bothered? Of course not!” She gives a very nervous laugh, “That reminds me. Hey, Willow, can you excuse me and Amity for a quick moment. I need to talk to her for a second.  Thanks!”</p><p>“What? Luz!” Without warning, Luz darts forward and grabs Amity on the wrist tightly before dragging her to the corridor and into the kitchen. Amity was then unceremoniously placed into an open chair and was now staring into the eyes of a very anxious human.</p><p>“Luz, what was that for?” The irritation in Amity’s voice makes Luz take a few steps back, “You could have just asked instead of dragging me around!”</p><p>“I know, I know. I’m sorry, okay?” Luz rubbed the back of neck and shrugs, “I didn’t mean to hurt you. I kind of just panicked, alright?”</p><p>“Panicked? Over what exactly?” Luz gestures to the corridor in a flurry of motion, making Amity raise an eyebrow, “Are you worried about Willow? I know that she’s a stranger to you, but she is not a bad person.” Unlike me… No stop that mind. Amity mentally chastises to herself. She can’t have any self-defeating thoughts right now. The first thing that she needs to figure out is why Luz is acting this way. Given her first impression of the girl, she would think that Luz would be over the moon in finding a new person to talk to. However, her actions speak otherwise, as if she would rather want to hide away instead.</p><p>“I know that she may not be a bad person to you but,” Luz takes a breath in to steady herself, running a free hand through her hair under her hood to calm her down, “I don’t know.”</p><p>“Luz,” Amity tries raising a hand to reassure her but retracts it, curling her hand over her lap, “Is something the matter? I know we barely know each other but you can tell me you know. I mean, when you save someone from a deadly snowstorm, that someone is owed something, right?”</p><p>Luz chortles at the remark, “I don’t think that’s how it works, Amity, but thanks.” Luz finally takes a seat across from where Amity was sitting, letting her elbows dig into the table, “It’s just…You are going to just find it weird.”</p><p>“Oh, do tell, Luz. I’m all ears,” Amity wiggles her ears for emphasis, getting another small laugh from the girl. </p><p>“Really, Amity. A pun? Didn’t think you’re the type of person to make one!”</p><p><em>Me neither.</em> “Maybe I’m just trying to cheer you up? Maybe I’m just like this? You have only met me after all?”</p><p>“C’mon,” Luz playfully smacked Amity on the arm, “I think its safe to say we’re past that point. I mean, you did that acrobatics and trapeze act like it was nothing!”</p><p>Amity’s eyes scrunched at the unfamiliar words, “Acrobatics? Trapeze? Is that another human thing?”</p><p>“Yeah, totally!” Luz’s eyes shined as she did various energetic hand motions through the air, “You should see the stuff they do back on Earth! They do way crazier stuff with robes and stuff without magic! Heck, one can even say that they do perform magic, right on stage!”</p><p>“Really,” Amity couldn’t help but wonder how something that extravagant could be done without magic. She remembers the rush of air flying past her face as she twisted and dived from platform to platform and that was difficult even with the little magic that was used. To think to even do something like that without magic seems preposterous but it was Earth after all. Luz’s home realm. </p><p>“Yes, really! Earth people can do awesome stuff too, y’know. Case in point, me!” Luz points to herself with a mock angry expression. Amity couldn’t but flick her nose, “Ow! Amity! What was that for!”</p><p>“My bad,” Amity grinned sheepishly, “You just looked so ridiculous with that expression of yours. However,” Amity brought a fist to her mouth and cleared her throat, making the atmosphere shift just a little, “We are getting way off track. Just what is your concern with Willow? You seemed, how can I put this? Not yourself?”</p><p>Luz drummed her fingers on the wooden table, the rhythmic thudding relieves some tension in the air, “Its not Willow, per say. I’m just…not that good with new people.” That last part was uttered quietly, almost as if Luz didn’t want to admit it herself. The mentioned girl slightly hunches into herself, staring at the dirtied pattern of the tablecloth covering the table.</p><p>Amity could only look with confusion, a thought nagging her from the back of her mind “But you talked with me easily though.”</p><p>Luz waves a hand erratically at her, “That’s totally different! I really don’t know why but it was really easy to talk to you that one day, okay? You didn’t judge me, didn’t make me feel weird, or anything. At least, I hope not. I just didn’t get the same feeling from Willow, that’s all.”</p><p>Amity blinks, trying to process what Luz confided with her. It was apparent to Amity that Luz was hurting, that she was hiding something that she didn’t want to hide, “But don’t you perform with Eda? From what I’ve seen, you guys draw in large crowds all the time. I kind of thought you would be better used to people, that’s all.” She would later regret her words as Luz’s eyes glazes over and the drumming on the table gets louder.</p><p>“It’s not the same,” The almost dry sounding monotone coming from Luz’s mouth startles Amity, “Hiding behind as someone else and running away when things go bad. That’s all I knew. Couldn’t even go out without looking behind my back every so often to see if anyone does recognize me.” Luz gives a ruthful chuckle, “Can’t let anyone know that I’m a human. Would cause too many problems anyway.”</p><p>The gears in Amity’s head begin to turn as she finally begins to realize just what Luz is trying to imply and the pit in her stomach deepens. Just how long has she been here, in the Boiling Isles and not Earth, and being able to talk to anyone with anything. Besides Eda, besides King, Amity could only begin to imagine the loneliness in hiding away their identity and never making any meaningful connections to anyone. Except her.</p><p>“But I know you’re a human.”</p><p>“Didn’t’ have much a choice. I think I forgot to put on my hood that day.”</p><p>“But you were so nice to me that day.” That drumming stops and Luz looks at her, her eyes glassy and red.</p><p>“Yeah, I guess I was. Must have been too excited to finally meet someone who didn’t immediately hate me or chase me away.” An awkward silence pervades the conversation at the mention of the word. </p><p>“Hate you?” Amity’s eyebrows furrow as she continues to look at a hunched Luz, “Why would anyone hate you for being human?” Amity knows all too well that word. She can read it on the lips of her parents when she makes a mistake. She can see it on the lips of other witches jealous of their station. But why hate Luz? It doesn’t make sense. She doesn’t look or act hateable, much less dislikable. </p><p>“I didn’t say that it was because of a human, did I?” Something warm snakes around Amity’s fingers, surprising her from the conversion. When she looks down, Amity feels a wave of an unfamiliar, yet not unpleasant heat rises within her as she realizes just what it was. It was Luz’s hand, her darkened fingers interwoven with Amity’s pale ones. She can feel rough patches of hardened skin dot across her hand, no doubt the results of hard-earned training from Luz’s end.</p><p>“Luz,” Amity withholds the squeak in her voice, more focused in figuring out why the human girl is acting this way. Her voice tries to be soft, trying to coax Luz into answering, “Are you okay?”</p><p>“I’m sorry if I’m making you uncomfortable,” Amity could feel Luz tighten her grip slightly, rubbing her thumb over the back of Amity’s hand, “I just needed to know if this was real and not my imagination. That I won’t wake up tomorrow and realize that it was all a stupid dream.” </p><p>“I’m not going to disappear anytime, Luz,” She squeezes back ever so gently, getting a small gasp from the girl. She gives a small smile, “I’m very much real.”</p><p>“O-Oh,” Luz clasps Amity’s hand fully this time, holding it like it was her only lifeline. Amity stares into Luz’s eyes and notices something new entirely. Before, when Amity last saw Luz, her eyes were filled with mirth and enthusiasm. At the time, there was a certain radiance that allowed Luz to glow. Now, her eyes looked hollow, sunken, and gripped with gloom. It takes all of Amity’s strength to not look away.</p><p>They reminded too much of her own.</p><p>“You know, you can try opening up for other people. Not all at once, of course,” Amity backtracks when Luz’s eyes widen, “You don’t have to try being friends with everyone. Just take it slowly. If anything, you can start with Willow. She used to be my best friend when I was younger, and still very much is, and I have a feeling that you will like her.” Luz bites her lip, clearly anxious at the thought. However, Amity couldn’t help but notice something odd. </p><p>At the base of her neck where the collar of the sweater meets, there was something hidden and furled under the cloth. At first, she thought that it was a necklace as twine and linen were commonly worn amongst some witches her age. However, it looked far less prepared than it should. She soon felt something brush against her wrist and slightly shivered at the sensation. It felt soft, nothing like the roughness from the calluses she felt from Luz’s hand. Taking a quick glance downward as Luz was still stuck in her thoughts, she notices near the cuff of the sweater that something was yet again amiss. It was subtle, hard to notice at first, but Amity sees something slightly stick out from the shadows of the cloth. It was long and looked covered in hair as if it were frills. On closer inspection, there were a few clumps of them and possibly more hidden under the sleeve. They looked strange, almost as if they were…</p><p>“Feathers?” She mumbles to herself, startling both her and Luz from her thoughts. </p><p>“Did you say something, Amity?” </p><p>“No, nothing at all,” She says quickly, “Just…Luz did you something with Eda lately?”</p><p>Luz cocks an eyebrow up, “Why?”</p><p>“Because I think you might have feathers still stuck to you from whatever you did. Is that a human game or another one of your acts with Eda?” A look of confusion preluded sheer panic as Luz tore her hand away from Amity and hides her hands from being seen by sequestering them to the long sleeves of the sweater.</p><p>“Luz are you okay,” The girl almost went too fast and almost went overboard from the chair. Luckily, Luz was able to right herself before she fell off, “What was that about?”</p><p>“Don’t worry,” Luz leapt up and patted Amity on the shoulder as if to reassure her. Amity couldn’t help but notice that Luz was using sleeve-covered hand to pat, “It’s nothing too much. Just something Eda and I have been doing.” Amity was still unconvinced, but Luz looked ready to leave the subject behind.</p><p>“Fine,” Amity accepts and stands up from her seat. No use prying into something that Luz doesn’t want to talk about, “Are you ready to go talk to Willow now?” A hesitant nod was her answer, giving a pleased hum when Luz looked ready to confront her reluctance.</p><p>“After you then,” Amity gestures to allow Luz to go first. However, when no steps were heard, she turns to see Luz donning a mischievous smirk, something that she both dreads and reassures her. It was good seeing that a semblance of the girl she first met return but now she has to know what she is about to do.</p><p>“C’mon, Luz, what are you waiting for?” Luz answers by removing something from her sweater pocket and flips it between her fingers. It was a glyph that Amity could instantly recognize. </p><p>“Luz don’t you dare!” Her cries of alarm were ignored when Luz outright tackles her with enough force to topple Amity over. She closes her eyes tightly, already expecting the familiar lurch of being transported through a teleportation glyph and the rush that soon follows. She lands on something soft, mentally thanking that it was not the hard floor, and released a grunt of annoyance she scrambles to get up. </p><p>“Seriously? You could have warned me!” She tries to get up, but she feels a weight on her stomach and glares at the offending individual. It was Luz with her hands over her stomach, head lurch back as she roars in unrestrained laughter. Amity couldn’t help but think that a weight on Luz’s shoulders was lifted as her laugh was melodic, sweet on the ears as it rang in the living room. </p><p>
  <em>‘Wait, the living room!’</em>
</p><p>“Now where’s the fun in that, Amity?” She feels Luz poke her in the nose, “Now get up, sourpuss, we have someone to officially meet.”</p><p>“Luz,” Both heads turn to see Willow beside the fireplace, looking incredibly amused at the situation and scroll in hand, having absolutely no shame in what she could be doing, “That would be kind of hard, seeing that you are on her.” Amity wants to get up, but her face was flushed, and her mind was busy stringing together a colourful range of insults directed toward the green-haired witch.</p><p>Luz had the audacity to gasp dramatically, “Well that simply won’t do.” Amity recognizes that tone. Luz had that exact same one before when she was performing, and Amity had no doubts that Luz is trying to make a good impression on Willow. </p><p>And what an impression it was. Luz puts the soles of her feet on the edge of the sofa, being careful in avoiding Amity, and leaps into the air, curling into a ball and rolling into the air. Amity sits up the very moment Luz <em>doesn’t</em> crash into the floor but instead somehow bounced back into the air and landing on her feet with practice grace. Of course, Luz adds a deep bow at the very end. </p><p>“Luz Noceda, performer of the Owl House Performing Arts Troupe at your service!” She straightens herself back up, a wide smile plastered on her face and arms outstretched in the air, “It is my deepest pleasure to officially meet you, Willow.” For added effect, she twirls and stops, posing with both hands on her hip. </p><p>“That was incredible!” Willow announced as she claps at the spectacle, “Amity, I know you said that the friend you mentioned was a character, but I didn’t expect anything like this!”</p><p>“Yeah, she can be quite the handful,” Amity shrugs, ignoring the stare given by Luz, “But yeah, that’s Luz.”</p><p>“I have to be honest, I pegged her as the shy type when you first introduced us,” Amity hopefully wishes that Willow misses the slight flinch from Luz but the green-haired witch was always too perceptive for her own good, “But that shattered my expectations! Way to go, Amity.”</p><p>“I do have that kind of effect of people. Or so what Eda tells me,” Luz gloats in pride, knowing full well that she can be either a hurricane or a stiff breeze. </p><p>“Eda?” Amity perks up at Willow’s mention of the grey-haired witch and finally realizes that there was something missing in the house. It was odd that with all the rush of noise and intrusions, Amity would think that Eda would show up by now, but she hasn’t. She doesn’t know the elderly witch well, having met her about twice before after all, but she at least pegged her as someone responsible enough to handle two unexpected guests. As Amity continues to look around for any sign of Eda, or King for that matter as the demon was far too shrill to be stealthy, Willow persists in asking, “Is that your mom?” </p><p>The room feels several notches colder as Luz doesn’t hide her flinch, “W-W-What? Eda my mom!? No, never!” It wasn’t hard to notice the rapid change between her attitude but as to have such a visceral reaction was surprising to both witches.</p><p>“Sorry, sorry,” Willow tries to apologize to the panicking girl. Lobos was already on his feet and moved to Luz’s feet, nuzzling his large body, and projecting a low growl as if he was soothing her. As if it was automatic, Luz scratches behind his ears but the rambling of panic was still spewing from her mouth. Although, Willow tries to backpedal from her statement, “I overstepped. I didn’t mean any harm.” Luz was breathing heavily now, her chest rising and falling in a rapid pace and her eyes was staring off into the distance. Lobos nudges Luz to the sofa with Willow walking up to the incoherent girl and helping Lobos in guiding here.</p><p>Internally, Amity was panicking hard. She has no idea how to calm the girl down as her mind scrambles to focus in the moment. She could see Willow take a seat beside Luz, ushering Luz words and steps that were no doubt the same steps given to herself earlier. Thinking quickly, Amity takes a hand and rubs small circles on Luz’s back and the effect was slow but evident as her breathing was beginning to slow. </p><p>As if drawn to the noise, the loud bang of the door slamming open rang throughout the house, startling Willow and Amity while Lobos looks grumpily at the noise. </p><p>“Luz, I’m home and you better be in your room!” A familiar voice announced, and Amity could not be more thankful to hear it right now. Stepping into the entrance was Eda carrying a large bag that covers her face that jingled with the clacking of glass hitting each other. </p><p>“Yeah, and we brought some of your feel better juice too!” Another voice squeaks, the light stomping of feet signalling their rushing into the room. Amity could only stare as King went to the sofa and stopped when he noticed Luz, Lobos, and the two uninvited guests, “Uh, Eda? We may have a problem.”</p><p>“Uh, what is it now, King? Did she leave her stuff here again? I swear I told her that she was grounded from doing anything performance related. I swear that girl is going to kill me.” She puts down gently the brown bag with a grunt of effort and looked up to see finally what it was. </p><p>Her eyes immediately narrow, “Alright, who broke my kid?”</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>“Alright, do you two mind telling me why you two are in my house without my permission? And why Luz was in the middle of breakdown?” Eda asks with obvious displeasure in her voice. It felt like an hour passed when Eda took charge and calmed Luz down with such frightening efficiency and authority. Luz herself was faring better, no more warbles in her voice and was sipping on a warm mug of appleblood, if the rich scent in the air was anything to go by. They were all herded to the kitchen and Amity and Willow were squirming under the strict gaze of Eda.</p><p>“We’re sorry,” Willow starts with a genuine assertion, “We didn’t mean to cause any harm.”</p><p>“Yeah, we kind of just went through a portal caused by Lobos,” Amity adds, pointing to the Gelert resting near Luz’s feet with his head down. His ears flicked at the mention of his name but made no effort to raise his head or do anything beside resting. Amity gives Eda a sheepish look, “We honestly didn’t mean to barge in uninvited. It was kind of sudden, that’s all.”</p><p>Eda groans and pinches her nose, “I swear I need to tell Mora to keep this guy on a leash. Acting like he owns the place and dragging two girls with it. Hmph,” She looks carefully at Amity now, studying her and Amity makes no reservations with it. She remembers what they last talked about and Amity was determined to keep her promise in not destroying Eda’s trust in her, for what good it is now. Eda places a hand on Luz and continues, “And why was Luz acting like that when I found here? You two better not have been tormenting her.”</p><p>“No, we swear we didn’t do anything to harm Luz.” Willow interjects. The concern and worry for Luz were evident but Eda still decided to lock her eyes to her, “Although I might have said something that I didn’t know that it should not be said.”</p><p>“And what did you say?”</p><p>“I might have asked her if you were here Mom.” Eda squeezed Luz’s shoulder and understanding dawned on her face. </p><p>“Oh. That explains a lot, actually.” Eda proclaims and takes a jug of appleblood before downing it all with one gulp. With a satisfied sigh, she places the jug down and looks at the two girls, “You two are fine then. I know you didn’t mean it as you two clearly didn’t know. It’s kind of a sensitive topic with her.” Luz paid no mind to the discussion as she focused all her attention to the warm liquid going down her throat. </p><p>“Okay,” Amity looks ashamed. After everything to try to get Luz to open up to Willow, everything just had to awry. </p><p>“Now don’t you go beating yourself in the head over it,” Eda tries to say, “You two just asked a question. That’s all. No harm in it.” Eda pauses and shoots Amity and Willow a stern look, “However, no more uninvited visits please? I can only be so charitable a few times a month.”</p><p>Amity slightly laughs at the attempt of a joke, easing the tension between them. Luz and Willow follow, finally easing themselves away from stress. </p><p>“Now, it’s getting late and I won’t be responsible for any missing children. Again.” Eda gives Amity a pointed look and stands up from her seat, “I can send you through my teleportation spells or through my staff. Your choice, kiddos.”</p><p>“Can I get a ride, please.” Willow pipes up, “I don’t think I can handle going through another portal today.”</p><p>“Ah, baby’s first portal travel,” Eda says with a hint of nostalgia, “Don’t worry, it gets better, but I can get you home without a fuss. However, I can only bring you two one at a time to avoid you two falling off and especially with any sudden blizzards. You okay with that, Amity?”</p><p>“Its fine,” Amity says curtly. With her mother busy with her excursion with the Council and her father still away, Amity was more than content in staying far away from the manor if possible, “I can wait. But I can take the teleportation method though to spare you the trouble.” </p><p>“Oh, in that case,” Eda conjures a spell circle, and a gaping hole ripples into existence, revealing the Blight manor, “Off you go then. And don’t cause anymore trouble, you hear me.” She tries to shoo Amity away with her staff but Luz grabs Amity by the shoulders, surprising both parties.</p><p>“Luz, what are you doing? She needs to get home.” </p><p>“Sorry, Eda but I need to talk to Amity about something, bye!” For the second time today, Luz drags Amity away but up the stairs this time and entering a messy looking room. Although, from what Amity can infer, this room was Luz’s room, if her costumes to the side were any indication. The room was small but cozy, accessorized with rough sketches and drawings dotting the walls. There was a big window overlooking the grounds outside and right beside it was a bookshelf brimming with books and loose papers. However, her attention was whisked away when she was unceremoniously placed on the bed while Luz paced in front of her. </p><p>“Again, Luz,” Amity grumbles, “You could have told me to move.” </p><p>“I’m sorry but I panicked!” Luz bites the nail of her thumb, clearly still anxious. After a few minutes, Luz stops and flops herself on the bed, bouncing from the rebound and startling Amity. Luz breathes a heavy sigh, laying her hands on her stomach. </p><p>“I’m sorry that I acted like that,” She murmurs, staring into the void that is the ceiling. Amity joins her, laying herself on the bed and stares into the ceiling. Amity can hear Luz’s breathing calm down, but the occasional jitter still sends shockwaves through the bed. </p><p>“You don’t have to say sorry; you know that right?” Amity feels a tap on her wrist and, knowing what Luz wants, allow her own hand to relax as Luz takes her hand in a tight grip. </p><p>“I know, it’s just…frustrating that it ended so poorly,” Luz’s grip tightens as she continues to ramble, “I know you told me to try opening up to Willow and I did try! Did a mini-act and all.”</p><p>“And I’m glad you did,” Amity squeezes her hand in an effort to reassure her, “Although, you did kind of scare me with how you reacted,” She shifts so that she can look at Luz properly, concern and curiosity burning in equal measure, “Do you want to talk about it?” </p><p>Luz was quiet, her lips pursed, and her free hand was stroking the bedsheet. Amity was content in the silence, allowing the girl all the time she needs to decide. Amity absentmindedly begins to think about her siblings and how must they have felt in dealing with her when she left that one day, screaming and shouting. She would be the first to admit to herself that was probably uncalled for but the pent-up frustrating with her sibling’s constant rhetoric and witticisms always tends to rub her the wrong way. </p><p>However, isn’t she doing the same thing to them? Ignoring them and blatantly speaking venom when they try to approach? And referring them as their parents probably stung as she doesn’t want to wish that on anyone, especially for her siblings. Maybe she should take a page out of Willow’s book and try to open up?</p><p>“Mom was a really awesome person…,” Amity perks up and turns her attention to Luz, “She would always try to make time to for me and play with me.”</p><p>“Back on Earth, right?”</p><p>“Yeah,” Luz’s voice sounds distant, as if she is traveling through the faraway lands of her memories. She creates an illusion that floats to the ceiling, revealing a white screen that began to play various images that were surely  “Back on Earth, we lived in a small apartment, basically a tiny room that acts as your entire house.”</p><p>Amity points at the woman that was strikingly similar in the one in the photograph, “I’m guessing that’s your Mom? What was her name?”. The woman clearly looked younger and moved with an ache of weariness through the tiny room. She was busy talking on the phone, speaking quite animatedly as her arms were exaggerating her words. Amity notes that Luz must have picked up that trait from her. </p><p>“Yeah, that’s her,” Luz’s voice turns fond, “She was called Camila Noceda and she always worked so hard. She always told me stories how her work would always keep her busy and on her toes. Sometimes, she would always come back so late into the night that she just collapsed into her bed. Sometimes, she would come back crying. But she loved it. Loved it almost as much as me.”</p><p>The illusion shifts, showing a young Luz and Camila playing in the forest. They looked happy as they ran across green fields and camped under the brightly lit night sky. </p><p>“Sometimes, when she gets a rare vacation, she would bring me on these camping trips and I would pretend that I was on some grand adventure on a quest to save a town or save the princess.”</p><p>Amity gives a good-natured laugh, “Sounds like that you were a handful.”</p><p>“You have no idea,” Luz replies with delight, “I was a hyperactive child and made my Mom know it.”</p><p>The image continues to shift, showing Amity several instances of Luz and Camila. She knows that Luz wasn’t going to show everything and that is okay. She doesn’t need to know everything. However, if it helps Luz, then maybe she can persevere.</p><p>“Then one day, our entire lives changed forever,” The image shifts and Amity holds a gasp. In the image was a portal to the Boiling Isles.</p><p>“But how?” </p><p>“During one of our camping trips, my Mom and I found a portal to the Boiling Isles. I wouldn’t know this until later but sometimes, this realm’s magic tears open a rift through dimensions, causing anything from either side to cross.”</p><p>Amity has a feeling where this was going, “I’m guessing you two crossed over once it appeared?”</p><p>Luz snorts, “More like I leapt in and my Mom jumped after me to stop me from doing anything stupid. Younger me thought it was a chance to live in a fantasy adventure I always dreamed of and hopped in no hesitation.”</p><p>“Heh, that sounds like something you’d do. I have to ask, what was your first impression of the Boiling Isles?” Even to the island’s residents, it was a near-deathtrap. Venturing past any established settlement puts you at risk with any creature that decided that you were food and that’s ignoring the inner-city squabbles. </p><p>“It was beautiful,” The image shifts to a cloudless sky, the orange glow untainted from the dense clouds as the winds gently brush against the reeds. Creatures of several shapes of sizes, some that emerge straight from Earth’s mythos, littered the landscape. Luz and her Mother luckily appeared near an established settlement, one that looks like the port sector near the downtown area. The normally murky brown water was crystal clear, the waves tickling the hands and feet of Luz as her Mother looks around with both enchantment and confusion. The Mother tried turning around and was ready to grab Luz, but the portal closed, leaving them both stranded. </p><p>“It took us a while to get adjusted,” Amity sees Luz and her Mother sleeping on street corners and alley ways, trying to survive on the foreign foods, “Not exactly the adventure I thought it would be. However,” A cluster of lights and colour explode onto the scene as the young Luz ran around playing with lizards created purely by light. Off to the side was Eda, a playful smile on her lips as she directed the light lizards around Luz. “We just so happened to meet Eda who took us in.”</p><p>“My Mom and I would always be grateful for what Eda has done to us. I guess you can say we kind of grew up here. I barely have any good memories on Earth anyways.” The image shifts to Luz’s Mom chastising Eda about something, wrapping a white cloth over one of Eda’s arms, “Found work here too. Eda kind of needed to patch herself up and luckily for her, my Mom is a nurse. She deals with injuries quite often, so she took to caring for Eda like a fish in a stream.”</p><p>“Then,” Amity dreads to say the next part but she has to continue, “What happened to her? Is she still here?”  </p><p>The image collapses and Luz sits up, her back leaning on the wall. Amity follows suit and looks and Luz, a look of pure grief and melancholy masking her normally jubilant face. </p><p>“She died. She got sick with something when I was younger and died when I was 11 years old. That was five years ago.”</p><p>Amity feels warm arms wrap around her as Luz softly cries into her shoulder. Amity could only hold on to her as she weeps away the grief.  </p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>The sun was already gone when she returned home, traveling through a teleportation glyph courtesy of Luz. In a word, Amity was exhausted. After all the mental toil from her talk with Willow and from her conversation with Luz, she is more than happy to sleep the night away.</p><p>However, there was still one obstacle she has to face, and it was her siblings. She knows that it was early enough that her mother was not home, but it was still not that late to assume that her siblings were already asleep. Reminding herself of what she should try doing instead of giving them another verbal dressing down, she opens the front door with a loud creak. She was greeted with silence. </p><p>The lights were on. There was evidence that someone was on the ground floor from the crumpled carpet and the empty bags of snack foods littering the tables. Yet, it was dead silent. She continued to walk up the stairs and was still met with the uncomfortable silence. </p><p>When she reaches the second floor, she braces herself for some type of prank or ambush but there was still nothing. Thinking that it was one of those rare days where her siblings did nothing, she went to her room and was met with a surprise. There was a note plastered on the door where the door remained shut. It read:</p><p>
  <em>Dear Amity,</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The first thing that we want to say is that we are sorry. We are sorry that we invaded your personal privacy and tried to pry into things that we had no right to know. We know that we were pushy because we were genuinely worried that something terrible happened to you that day. Although, with that in mind, we did kind of overstepped our boundaries. We know that you were ignoring us recently and we get it, but please talk to us so that we can discuss this properly. We solemnly swear that we will try to be better, even if it is a couple years too late. We understand that you may not trust us fully yet but please, allows us to at least try and do this.</em>
</p><p><em>With love,</em> </p><p>
  <em>Emira and Edric</em>
</p><p>
  <em>P.S Don’t kill us when you enter your room. Edric thought it was a good idea to do it so blame him if you hate it.</em>
</p><p>Smiling until she saw that last bit, she carefully removed the note and opened her door abruptly, ready to face whatever elaborate prank they did to mess with her room. However, there was no prank, there was no mess. It was remarkably clean and organized to a degree that Amity could barely reach.</p><p>She knows that her obsession in trying to complete her abomination work caused her to ignore the state of her room, constantly shoving away dirty clothes or books to the side as an excuse to do it later. However, it looked like everything was spick and span as everything looked like it was in the right place. Even her bag was in it’s usual spot by her desk, it’s contents inside untouched. She also notices that the box that Mora gave her was next to her Abomination supplies and remained closed.</p><p><em>‘They really did all this, huh?’</em> Thinks Amity, her approval of her siblings rising higher from its low starting point. She walks to her bed, its blankets smelling freshly cleaned and neatly folded, and climbs into it, already feeling the lure of sleep dragging her away.</p><p>Her dreams lead her to her siblings. If they can start to change, then maybe she can change too. Her dreams begin to change, manifesting into formulas and conjurations of Abominations. If Amity wants to improve as well, then she needs to step up her game and confront her fears.</p><p>At that is exactly what she, Amity Blight herself, would do. And she knows exactly what to do.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>“You want me to train you?” Exclaims Mora, her visible eye open in surprise. Lobos stands at her side, looking curiously at her. “Even when I gave you ingredients to help you in your struggle?” Amity shakes her head, her hands gripping the Owl Necklace that has led her to Eda. Once the school day was over, Amity jumped at the chance to return to Eda and ask her to lead her to Ms. Mora. Eda couldn’t say no at the intense passion burning in Amity’s words. </p><p>“That will only treat the symptom,” Amity replies with determination, a fire burning bright in her eyes as she looks the diminutive demon in the eye, “That is to not say that I am ungrateful but if I am to master my Abomination magic, then I need to know the reason why it’s not working and not just resort to shortcuts.” To the side, Eda looks impressed, a knowing smirk on her face as she leans on a withered tree. </p><p>Mora looks at her, her eye looking up and down before striking the flat of her crook on the ground, “That was a wise answer, Ms. Blight. An answer that I was expecting from such a promising child,” Excitement rings through Amity’s body as Mora strikes the ground, morphing the earth around her into tables and targets. She gestures to Amity to come closer as she walks past a table filled with various equipment and ingredients, “I would not have fault you if you had chosen to use my ingredients but you made the hard choice. Hard work and effort will always pay off in mysterious ways. But for now,” She stops in the middle of the transformed field and conjures and clay pot into existence, “Let us see what we will need to work on. Shall we begin?”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So, connotations, all the connotations. We find out a lot of stuff and deal with a lot of emotions so I don't blame you if this chapter isn't as enjoyable for some of you. I also somehow turned several chapters of this story filled with emotional turmoil, not something I've expected when I started this. For those wondering if we will see more circus-like scenes from the Owl House Troupe, don't, we will experience more antics by the them soon because I like writing those scenes and they play a lot with the story. I just didn't realize that my mind is evil and wants the characters to suffer.</p><p>I will also like to say that I will be updating this story bi-weekly, the once every two weeks version, as I forgot to state my upload schedule earlier.</p><p>Also, if you guys want and if you haven't already, you guys can read my side-project, <em>I have the honour to be...</em>, and see if you guys like it.</p><p>Anyways, thank you for your continued support and leave kudos if you like. Also, leave some comments if you want because they are awesome to read and allows me to understand what you guys are thinking.</p><p>Until next time!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Frankenstein</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Summary: Arise! Come forth and unearth the very depths of hell!</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I'm back from hiatus, baby, and we are back on schedule(ish) for the next installment! Hope you enjoy the chapter and I hope you enjoy New Year's Eve!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Abomination, rise!”</p><p>Magic on the isles is like a muscle; the more you cast a spell, the stronger that it would become. Starting from a young age, young witchlings would habitually start casting spells in mimicry of their heroes or idols, often preferring one type of magic over the other. And little by little, their spell would evolve, reflecting the castor and intertwine itself to their growth. That’s why it is a hallmark of every great witch and coven leader to have at least one signature spell, one that they can cast as easily as the breath they take. </p><p>Understanding the intricacies of the spell also helps to bolster the strength and responsiveness of the spell as raw talent tends to falter when faced with a practiced skill. Knowledge, like how the spell would bend nature to your will or how it affects the target, would allow the witch the opportunity to refine their craft. </p><p>Hence, those spells that were taken to the utmost pinnacle of their craft would always appear different when compared to the same spell casted by a novice. With fire magic, the flames would burn brighter and hotter, often being inextinguishable by anything except the castor’s will. For bard magic, their melody would be like the sirens of old, captivating an entire nation with a single strum of a harp. For divination, the sight of the near future seamlessly blending onto reality is a harsh mistress, often making the witch go mad with truth.</p><p>That is why it is recognized by the denizens of the Boiling isles that Abomination magic is one of the most difficult types of magic to learn and master. Construct magic such as this often relies on many components to even attempt, with one odd mistake interfering with the entire process if not handled correctly. Knowing which ingredients worked best with one another, what size and medium would be used, and how fast should it appear are one of the many conundrums plaguing this path of magic. Few even dare to approach this route as it was not uncommon to hear of an Abomination go wild after it was summoned, harming their master and their surroundings. Fewer still stay to master it. </p><p>With scarcity, however, comes value. Those that have completed their studies in Abomination magic would see themselves lauded over as having legions of creations at their disposal would quickly persuade those around them.</p><p>One would often see an accomplished Abomination act more lifelike than a standard automaton, acting with a grace rarely seen from creatures normally born from herbs and animal components. Their outward structure would also appear denser, their material readily solidifying to form a near-impenetrable barrier and creating a perfect bodyguard or soldier. Nonetheless, the summoning speed of an Abomination is always a place of contention within scholar circles as it is often seen that with hasty casting leads to poor results. If the witch was too impatient or ill-prepared for the arduous task of melding the ingredients together, they would find a puddle instead of a giant. If they were lucky, that is. </p><p>That was what Amity was taught to obey in the beginning. To understand that this was the way of life in learning Abomination magic. </p><p>That idea was slowly being broken with each passing day that she spent with Ms. Mora.<br/>
With a simple twirl of the demon’s wrist, Mora conjured a great number of Abominations rising from small pots and urns littered in the training yard. Each stream of colourful ooze coalesced into several Abominations of many shapes and sizes, each one harboring a unique trait to them. </p><p><em>‘Incredible…,’</em> Amity whispered back then, <em>‘How can you summon so many? I thought the strain of maintaining this many Abominations would be too much, even with smaller Abominations!’</em></p><p><em>‘Witches nowadays often restrict themselves rigidly in how to use their magic, even with the recent efforts of mixing two or more types of magic with one another’</em> Mora explained with a perplexing mix of disappointment and nostalgia, <em>‘Abomination magic is no exception as I have seen many witches approach this path thinking that it is merely broken down to its components. They are wrong of course.’</em></p><p>Amity watched as Mora drew one construct closer, this one quadrupedal and nearly resembling a wolf-like creature with its fangs and lean figure. Amity was soon surprised when the construct gently nuzzled its face into Mora’s side, drawing a fond look from Mora’s eyes.</p><p><em>‘I thought Abominations aren’t supposed to feel emotions?’</em> Amity asked, <em>‘Aren’t they just like golems?’</em></p><p><em>‘Not necessarily, my dear,’</em> Mora warded the wolfen creature away and began deftly writing on the ground with the butt of her crook, <em>‘Magic is tied with our emotions and mind, Ms. Blight, and how we approach it influences the cast.’</em></p><p>
  <em>‘If one is angry, expect the spell to go awry or be much too powerful than expected. If one is calm or collected, the easier it is to use more demanding spells. If one is filled with grief or pain, it is not uncommon to find a witch briefly unable to use their magic.’</em>
</p><p><em>‘I…I see,’</em> Amity intently listened to Mora’s words of wisdom as the demon continued to write in the snow, <em>‘So how does this tie in with Abomination magic?’</em></p><p><em>‘Abomination magic is situated with a unique disposition when compared to other magic, Ms. Blight,’</em> Mora continued anew, this time bringing closer another Abomination much larger than the last one. This one carrying itself with it’s back straight and holding an air of dignity to it. </p><p>
  <em>‘What do you see, Ms. Blight?’</em>
</p><p><em>‘I…,’</em> Amity looked at it intently that day, but nothing clicked. To her, it looked like a normal Abomination but the way it carried itself was unsettling for some reason, <em>‘I’m sorry, Ms. Mora but I don’t know.’</em></p><p><em>‘That is alright, Ms. Blight. It is nothing to be ashamed of,’</em> Mora assured. <em>‘What you are seeing is an Abomination carved to reflect someone I once knew.’</em></p><p><em>‘Really?’</em> Amity observed carefully at the construct and finally noticed key differences when compared to the usual featureless summons of normal Abominations. There were subtle nubs beside on the side of their ears akin to ears and when their arms pulsed with magic like a heartbeat, Amity could briefly see the outline of a scar etched into their left shoulder. If she looks closer, she can see the scar flow down and reach its chest.</p><p><em>‘Yes. I assume that you know that magic tends to shape itself to us?’</em> Amity nodded. <em>‘Summoning magic is no different as it is directly tied to how we see and experience the world, Ms. Blight. You see, unlike many popular opinions floating about, magic does not want to feel caged or docile. Trying to rein it into a single, solidified form is often why many a summon destabilize or run amok in the first place.’</em></p><p>
  <em>‘And our mind? What does that have to do with this?’</em>
</p><p>
  <em>‘Everything, my dear. Our mind provides our magic an outlet to adhere to; our imagination and experiences providing a foundation for it to build upon. Our mind helps the summon shape itself into something we know, creating a construct both easier to control and stronger in presence. The stronger the feeling or memory, the more readily would shape itself to it.’</em>
</p><p><em>‘But how does that make sense?’</em> Amity asked, <em>‘If our magic doesn’t want to be restrained, then why does it want to mold itself like that? It seems contradictory.’</em></p><p>Mora gave a small chuckle at the barb, slightly easing Amity, <em>‘Magic was born from a living being, Ms. Blight, and it acts in ways even I don’t understand. That knowledge was unfortunately lost in time and I don’t have the answer you seek. But I can offer a theory.’</em></p><p>
  <em>‘And that would be?’</em>
</p><p>
  <em>‘That our magic wants to take form into something that we hold dear. If we try to summon something that is essentially an empty husk, it will try to seek out something to give it purpose or life. That is why my summons are like this, Ms. Blight.’</em>
</p><p>
  <em>‘Now, we spent a great amount of time discussing magic where we should be practicing. Let’s get to it, shall we?’</em>
</p><p>When Mora asked her to summon her Abomination freely, Amity was a bit skeptical at the prospect even with Mora’s gentle reassurance. Amity knows firsthand that her large summons were unstable, a fact drilled and beaten into her head with every failure, and yet when she tried to warn Mora once more, the demon gave a small nod. </p><p>
  <em>‘Not to worry, Ms. Blight, I will make sure that nothing goes awry. Now, summon your Abomination with no restrictions. I would like to see what I will be working with.’</em>
</p><p>With Mora’s words, Amity repressed the embers of doubt burning her mind and began to focus. With one deep breath, she spun a magic circle in the air, and felt the magic rush through her veins. When she shouted the command phrase, she expected nothing less but a disappointing gurgle or a disembodied creature.</p><p>So, when the large urn utterly <em>shattered</em> in a burst of purple ooze, Amity quickly took several steps back with her mouth agape in surprise with what she sees in front of her. </p><p>It was an Abomination bigger than her usual medium class summons but not nearly big enough to qualify as a large class Abomination. The construct was textbook, humanoid in shape but lacking in physical features except for a grim smile and sunken eye sockets. Although, sporadic ripples moving along the outline of the body betray the steadiness of the form. Yet, when the Abomination took an experimental step into the world without any additional command and without collapsing under its own weight, Amity felt a weight fall from her shoulders.</p><p>Amity can clearly remember what Mora said that day, never forgetting feeling that the demon was impressed at what she saw.</p><p><em>‘Remarkable,’</em> Amity remembers Mora prodding the construct’s form with her Shepard’s crook, the purple mass conforming to the added weight but no less retaining the form, <em>‘To summon such a creature like this at your age is an achievement. I must commend you, Ms. Blight, as it seems that you are quite the witch indeed.’</em></p><p>Amity cheeks slightly warm at the compliments a few days ago, a small smile gracing her lips as she practices her summoning again. <em>‘I just put in a lot of effort,’</em> She remembers saying to Mora hesitantly, eyeing the construct with suspicion, <em>‘But you don’t have to lie. I know that this is a terrible Abomination. I can’t even get it to stabilize right and I summoned it too quickly too.’</em></p><p>‘Is that such a bad thing, Ms. Blight?’</p><p> “You are losing focus, my fledgling. Concentrate at what is in front of you!”</p><p>Amity snaps herself back into reality with not a moment to soon as she barely ducks under the stream of fire hurtling towards her. She chides herself at her mistake, softly growling under her breath at the uncomfortable heat nearly striking her. Subconsciously, she draws her Abomination closer to her, it’s arm hovering over her to block any oncoming spells.</p><p>“Abomination, attack!” With a guttural shout, the construct at her side charged towards a hooded figure clad in a cloak of white and holding a white staff topped with a carving of a raven. The Abomination’s fists were poised to crash down on the figure’s small frame yet with a mighty shudder, its fists met snow and dirt instead. Undeterred, the Abomination threw several more attacks to appease its master’s orders, making sure that the enemy was too pressured to focus. However, the figure deftly weaved through the clumsy attacks of the monster, revealing a grace honed from years of practice and experience. With a single, well-timed blow to the Abomination’s temple with their staff, the construct gave one last cry of defiance before dissolving into a pile of sizzling ooze. Amity only had a few seconds to realize that the figure was upon her before being knocked off her back, wheezing at the sudden loss of gravity and breath.</p><p>“I believe that it is my win once again, Amity.” The hooded figure proclaimed, their voice remaining steady even after dodging continuous attacks in the snow. Amity twisted her head to look at the figure, groaning in pain and eliciting a small huff from the figure. </p><p>“Now, is that how we should treat our defeats, Amity?” A hand was quickly placed in front of her face, its pale skin nearly matching the white of the snow dusting the cloth around it.</p><p>“No, Ms. Lilith…,” Amity brings herself up, accepting the hand given to her by Lilith. With a sigh of discontent, she wipes away the patches of snow on her clothing as Lilith looks expectedly at her behind her hooded visage, “We should always treat it as someplace to learn.”</p><p>“Exactly.” With a swift tug, Lilith removed her hood, revealing her pale and undeterred visage combined with her tired yet caring blue eyes. She takes two small leather canteens tied to her belt and offered one of them to Amity, “Drink, Amity. We’ve been practicing since the dawn and you need to be refreshed.”</p><p>“Thank you, Ms. Lilith,” With tired hands, Amity grabs the canteen, twisting the cap and greedily drinking its contents. The cold flow of water going down her throat was refreshing to feel after several hours of hard work. </p><p>“Aah…,” With a satisfied sigh, Amity put away the canteen and wiped away the last of the moisture around her lips with Lilith doing the same. </p><p>“You’ve improved remarkably,” Lilith announced abruptly, making Amity warm up in pride, “And that is no lie either. You’re Abominations have been steadily improving in both stature and stability in the past few days.”</p><p>“Thank you, Ms. Lilith,” Amity nearly burst in excitement after hearing the announcement from her long-time mentor, “I’ve been working hard to get it right for my assignment.”</p><p>Lilith surprises Amity when the cobalt-haired witch released a good-natured laugh, “I can see that! It is rare to see someone so young to flourish like this. You should be proud.”</p><p>Amity doesn’t bother to hide the large smile donning on her face, “Y-You’re too kind, Ms. Lilith.”</p><p>“Although, I must ask,” Lilith walked up to Amity’s Abomination, her eyebrows furrowed as she analyzes the creature, “I didn’t realize Hexside included in their curriculum to modify Abominations from their usual template. Has this been a recent development?”</p><p>Amity eyes widened and opened her mouth before she has a chance to stop herself, “Yes, actually. Well, not entirely. I just so happened to add in a couple things and my professor was more than willing to allow it for my assignment. Is that too bad?” Internally, Amity cringed at her poor excuse of a lie. Lilith was a leader in the Council’s Coven, and she can no doubt investigate her claims easily. Even thinking about lying to her was twisting her stomach into knots, no less even uttering the lie.</p><p>However, what else can she say? That she magically teleported into a mysterious forest and met a stranger that just so happened to have magical components that were once thought to be extinct? Who would believe her?</p><p>Granted, Amity’s time with Mora was proven fruitful, albeit with some strange side effects. After each school day, she finds herself drawn back to Mora and the demon’s quaint residence for training. It was difficult to deceive her mother that she was heading to Mora’s place, saying that she found an empty yard, to train but once Amity said that it was to improve her prowess and mistakes, Odalia was quite pleased and let her go. </p><p>And the results of such trickery were found with her Abomination. In such a short period of time and with several training bouts against Mora, her handling in controlling her Abomination was getting better considerably. Standing in front of Lilith was an Abomination barely passing her height, the sunken black holes for eyes were staring down at her form and its body was built for strength and resilience. It’s arms and legs were the size of tree trunks with enough power to tear the ground asunder with little prodding. However, when she first casted it against Lilith, she felt something nudge in her mind, like it was calling to her. With Mora’s talk about how magic interacts with its user, Amity allowed it to flow and was stunned to find out what she summoned. </p><p>The Abomination was shaped with a crystal indentation in the center of its chest and where its ears would be was replaced with two dangling orbs of ooze. Under one of its eyes was even one singular darkened dot. </p><p>As ridiculous as it sounds, her Abomination harbored some traits from Emira, her incorrigible yet well-meaning sister. When she first realized it, she was shocked, but she had no time to dawdle as Lilith immediately began the sparring session.</p><p>“Amity,” Lilith called, her back turned towards the hulking construct, “It is not bad to do such things. It is your magic after all and if it helps improve it, then I’ll gladly let it pass.”</p><p>“Really?!” </p><p>“Amity, I may be a part of the Council’s Coven, but I am your mentor for the better part of the years. As long at it doesn’t directly harm you or anyone around you, then I think we can work with what you are doing.”</p><p>Amity looks down, not in shame but in embarrassment from the praise, the tips of her eyes reddening from her mentor’s words, “You’re too kind, Ms. Lilith. Shall we begin again?”</p><p>“Yes,” Lilith walked to the side of the field that they were in and rummaged through the large rucksack placed there, “However, we won’t be doing another spar seeing that we have been fighting one another since this morning. I was thinking that we should practice maneuverability again as I cannot stress how important it is to dodge.”</p><p>“Yes, Ms. Lilith,” With a small sigh, Amity took her spot opposite to Lilith and prepared for the incoming swarm of razorflies that Lilith will release. Call it old-fashioned but it did condition her and her Abomination to become better at evading mobile threats. Granted, it did get tedious at times as Lilith would tend to default to lessons developed by her Coven, always repeating it to the point that Amity already memorized the steps to it.</p><p>Maybe that was why it was refreshing to go to Mora in the first place? Unlike Lilith who would always encourage Amity to follow the tried-and-true method of learning magic, Ms. Mora simply shook her head when Amity showed her how she did her magic, saying that it was too rigid. </p><p>
  <em>‘While I do enjoy seeing how magic has evolved, it does get tiring to see how your teachers at Hexside tend to forget about the simple things.’</em>
</p><p>However, each time that the demon mentioned something like that, Amity’s curiosity was piqued, the pyre of knowledge within her mind burning brightly as she wants to know more about the demon. </p><p>During the tedium of dodging the sharp wings of the razorflies as she memorized the strike pattern long ago when they clipped her visage, she remembers the one question she asked the demon. </p><p>
  <em>‘You keep saying things like that, Ms. Mora. Forgive my rudeness but how exactly long have you’ve been alive on the isles?’</em>
</p><p>The demon sighed when she asked that question and Amity took note of the weariness haunting her eyes. The demon slumped on a nearby tree trunk, an unseen weight weighing on her shoulders as she opens her mouth to speak, <em>‘Too long, Amity. Too long.’</em></p><p>Amity ducks from an attempted lunge from the razorfly swarm and sent her Abomination to handle it before she gets too lost in her own thoughts and gets hit. Seeing that she has some breathing room, Amity tries to recall just what happened on that day when Mora revealed that particular nugget of knowledge. </p><p><em>‘I know that demons that can live long lives, but the oldest recorded lifespan of a demon is still around 2-3 centuries. Even then, none had knowledge about magic like you did or even had access to extinct creatures. Just how old are you? Better yet, who exactly are you?’</em>   </p><p><em>‘There are things best left forgotten from the annals of history, Ms. Blight.’</em>  Mora uttered morosely, her hold on her crook tightening as her visage hardened, <em>‘I’m just a simple herbalist making do on her lonesome.’</em></p><p>Amity remembers the fateful day that she pieced it together. It was the nearly a full week when she first went to Mora for guidance on her Abomination magic and a day when Mora told her story. She remembered how her magic was seamless but archaic, her materials littered with extinct creatures from ages long past, and how she seemed guarded at times as if she were being targeted. There was one explanation for this but at the time, it was a leap of faith and it would have caused an uproar if it gets out.</p><p>
  <em>‘You’re from the Age of Emperors, aren’t you?’</em>
</p><p>Mora paused during their training; her brown eyes surprised yet saddened at the time.</p><p><em>‘Yes,’</em> Mora answered quietly as if haunted, <em>‘Yes, I am.’</em></p><p>“Amity, I believe it is time to call it off now.” The swarms of razorflies flew back into an open container held by Lilith, their loud buzzing quieting as they entered their chamber filled with smoke and incense. “We shall resume tomorrow so that we can touch up you’re Abomination before the deadline at the end of this week. Is that fine?”</p><p>“Yes, Ms. Lilith,” Trying to forget the sense of foreboding from remembering that a relic of a time of strife was amongst them, Amity walked over to Lilith to clean up the area. Though, in the middle of cleaning the field, Amity nearly slapped her forehead when she remembers that she still has her Abomination active. With a raised hand, Amity has her mouth open to speak but she was cut-off before she says the command from a voice behind her.</p><p>“Lilith, how is my daughter this morning?”</p><p>Amity freezes in place when she hears the familiar baritone that she grew up with at her time in the manor. She turns around stiffly, her eyes filled with false bravado as she sees someone that was missing for a long time. </p><p>He was moderately built but he held himself with the undeterred authority of the member of the Council. He wore a dark purple business suit over a white-collared dress shirt, pristine and unblemished from creases and folds. His face was plain but there were deep lines etched into folds of skin, no doubt from constant stress and scowling, and a goatee of brown hair was left on his chin. His golden eyes showed no compromise, and his brown hair was molded into a professional looking appearance. </p><p>“Sir Alador Blight,” She hears Lilith announce, “I did not expect you to return so quickly from your trip from the neighbouring isles. Your daughter has been doing great in her training and she has been improving her Abomination magic greatly.”</p><p>“As expected of a sire of the Blight family.” Her father’s words were hard and dry, cutting Amity underneath her blank visage, “Step closer daughter, I wish to speak to you.”</p><p>“Of course, father,” Keeping her head high, she steps closer to her father, trying to repress the sense of wrongness when she is always near him. She keeps her back straight and her arms at her sides, just like what she was taught. </p><p>She feels her father’s hands quickly grasp her chin, forcing her to look into her father’s eyes. They were the colour of gold but there was always something unsettling when she sees them. His eyes always felt dull, like the life and spirit was sucked away from them. </p><p>“I see that you’ve been improving quickly, Amity.” He starts, his calm voice causing Amity to feel small and wanting to hide away in her room, “Have you finally broken past these barriers that you so foolishly allowed yourself to build?”</p><p>“Y-Yes, father, I’ve-” A harsh flick of his hand struck her chin, dazing her in the throbbing pain.<br/>
“Stop that stuttering. It is unbecoming of you.” Alador severely states, his eyes uncompromising in the face of such weakness, “Now repeat what you tried to say without such a meaningless stutter.”     </p><p>The air grew quiet, growing in silence as if one could hear a pin drop. Lilith stood off to the side passive and quiet but uncomfortable, her grip on her staff just slightly tightening at the display of disciple.</p><p>For Amity, her heartbeat rose, and her hands were slightly shaking. Her father was always like this, his attitude on maintaining a rigid appearance without weakness was absolute in his etiquette lessons. Just once, a fantasy flashed in her mind that her father would just allow this mistake to be forgiven, that no punishment would pass. But they were always wrong. Always wishful.</p><p>“Well, Amity.” A harsh grip on her shoulder from her father almost caused Amity to grunt in pain, “Are you going to stay quiet as a mouse or will you answer your father?”</p><p>Just once, she imagined that her father would be quiet.</p><p>A harsh roar resonated from behind her and the earth shook with unrestrained power. A colossal force struck her father squarely in the chest, causing him to launch and land onto the hard bark of a tree, crumpling into the ground in pain.</p><p>“W-What?”</p><p>“Amity, get down!” Lilith’s voice of urgency brought her back from her stupor as she quickly turned around to see her Abomination rumbling with unrestrained chaos and mania. Thinking quickly, she launched herself to the side as Lilith swiftly brought up her staff and struck the Abomination, a red glow permeating from the raven. With a final yell, the Abomination tried to lash out at Lilith, but its fist quickly dissolved into harmless goo, the rest of the body soon following. </p><p>“Amity, are you okay?” She can hear Lilith say as she runs towards her.</p><p>“W-What just happened?” </p><p>“You’re Abomination went out of control, Amity,” Her mentor’s voice was stern but there were notes of concern engraved in it, “You’re lucky it didn’t target you or else the situation would be much worse.”</p><p>Her Abomination out of control? She thought that she was able to handle her Abomination by now. “My father,” Amity manages to say, “Is he okay?”</p><p>“I don’t know,” Lilith flatly says, helping Amity to stand up from the snow, “C’mon, we have to help him and see if he is okay.”</p><p>They both hurried to the man’s side; his clothes crumpled from the impact of the strike. Amity stood ready as Lilith raised her staff, a white glow permeating from the Raven and emanating towards Alador. </p><p>“Is he going to be okay?”</p><p>“Astonishingly, yes. Your father doesn’t seem to have any extreme injuries so it looks like either your father is more durable than he looks or that he must have enchanted his clothes with enhancements.” </p><p>A groan brought them out of their musings, the light from Lilith’s staff ending as Alador’s eyes fluttered opened. </p><p>“Sir Alador, are you okay?” Lilith asks, kneeling to better look at him.</p><p>“I think I am fine,” Alador’s voice was calm but the sound was different from before. It held no malice or venom but a softness that was left untouched for too long. With a groan, he tries standing up but nearly stumbles before Lilith grabbed him from falling. </p><p>“Easy, Sir Alador, you need to take it easy for a bit,” Concern was fresh in Lilith’s voice, her hands gentle in her hold to keep Alador steady. </p><p>“I feel okay actually, just a bit dizzy.” He turns to see Lilith, his eyes widening in surprise, “Lilith, is that you?”</p><p>“S-Sir?” Lilith recoiled in shock, her grip slackening and causing Alador to fall once again but Amity was there to catch them. </p><p>“Father, are you alright?” Amity exclaimed, worry on her face as she feels guilty and responsible for this accident. </p><p>“Father?” Alador turned towards Amity, his eyes, lacking a sense of emptiness and filled with life, giving way to confusion and curiosity, “I’m sorry but who are you, child?”</p><p>“Father?”</p><p>“Alador,” Odalia’s voice shouted amongst the area, no doubt coming from the manor that was nearby, “Would you kindly return to the manor? We have much to discuss, darling.”</p><p>At that, Alador turned rigid, his eyes growing dull by the second as he quickly stood up from his spot and brushed the snow off his clothing, “Yes, dear, I will be with you shortly.” With a brisk pace and seemingly ignoring what happened moments ago, Alador swiftly removes himself from the field, leaving behind a dumbfounded Lilith and Amity.</p><p>“Ms. Lilith,” Amity turns toward Lilith who was processing something in her head, “Will my father be okay? You did heal him, right?”</p><p>“Yes, I…,” Lilith looks like she was remembering a long-forgotten memory before she places her hands gently on Amity’s shoulders, “I think its best that you take the rest of the day off, Amity.” Before the girl can protest, Lilith gives her a look before proceeding, “I will go talk to your parents and tell them your progress, but I want you to relax for the rest of the day, okay? I don’t want a repeat of what happened today with your Abomination, do you understand?”</p><p>Amity solemnly nods, “Good. Now, run along now and relax, you earned it.” Lilith then turns and walks towards the Blight manor, professional in her posture and stride. With a sigh, Amity quickly packed her things, thumbing the hidden Owl necklace Eda gave her before something abruptly pulls her. </p><p>“Oh, Mittens!” Two voices harmonize together, and Amity can’t help but have slight exasperation at her luck.</p><p>“What do the two of you want?” Amity turns around and sees Emira and Edric look sheepishly at her, their hands behind their back as they balance on the heel of their boots.</p><p>“What, can we not say hi to our little sister?” Edric teased but before Amity can berate him, Emira slugged him on the shoulder.</p><p>“Emira?! What was tha- Oh, right. Sorry, Em!” Amity was then confused when Edric took one look at Emira’s disapproving face and even more confused when Edric actually apologized for something.</p><p>“Okay, what is this about?” Asks Amity, her arms crossed as her impatience was quickly rising, “Is this some type of elaborate prank? I still haven’t even forgiven you for last time. Titan, even if you did help clean my room and write that letter that one time, don’t expect me to lenient after what you’ve done.”</p><p>“That’s actually what we came here to say,” Emira states, causing Amity to look dumbfounded at her older sister, “We know that we’ve overstepped our boundaries and made you uncomfortable so I guess you can say that we’re sorry.”</p><p>“Yeah, we’re really sorry for putting you through that,” Edric added who was twiddling his thumbs, “We just were really worried about you, Amity. You’re our baby sister and it would kill us if you got hurt. </p><p>Amity stares at Edric and back to Emira. She looks at their faces and they look genuinely sincere. However, remembering what they did to her, she still chooses to cross her arms and return to her gruffness with a huff, “And how can I start to possibly trust you after what you two did?”</p><p>“How about that we don’t annoy you with invasive pranks or teasing for the next 2 months?” Edric offered. Amity hummed, slightly nodding at the offer as getting the twins off her back for that long means that they were quite serious in what they were doing. </p><p>“That seems fair,” Emir and Edric cheered but they were hushed when Amity gave the both of them a harsh glare, “But I still would like to have something else in this promise of yours.”</p><p>“Well, we happened to briefly hear that you are going to relax for the rest of the day and we just so happened to nab this!” Emira announces as she brings out something from her back pocket, “How about a ticket to the hottest sensation that has been sweeping the isles lately?”</p><p>“Emira, you know that I don’t like going to your concerts.”</p><p>“Not that, Mittens! Have you heard of the Owl House Troupe?”</p><p>Amity’s stomach flipped from the mention of the group and she stares at Emira, “Why? What’s up with them?”</p><p>“They just so happen to be having a big show tonight! Think about it, wild wonders of arts and sound merged into a single night of fun! C’mon, it’s gonna be great for you!”</p><p>“Okay,” Amity tried to remain calm and not give any indication that she knows them personally, “But how are they doing this? Aren’t they wanted by the Council?”</p><p>Edric waves off Amity’s concern, “Don’t worry! They got it all handled and the Council won’t do anything that would harm a bunch of innocent witches in one spot.”</p><p>“Sure,” Amity sarcastically says, “And if I go, you two won’t cause me any trouble at all?”</p><p>“We promise!” They say together. Amity sighs. She knows that her siblings’ hearts are in the right place but is it wise to offer them this olive branch. She looks at the ticket, feeling uncertainty in her stomach. On the other hand, after what happened today with her Abomination and her father, maybe this one time won’t hurt?</p><p>“Alright, I’ll go.” The twins cheered from Amity’s announcement, “But I hope that you two will honour our agreement.”</p><p>“We won’t do anything to break it, Mittens!” Edric stated. </p><p>“Yeah, we promise you that we will be on our best behaviour.” Emira adds. </p><p>Amity rolls her eyes, a small smile on her lips, “Alright, you two. Now pass the ticket, okay? I’ll be spending the rest of the day relaxing so try not to bother me?”</p><p>“Will do, Mittens!” With another grumble from Amity, she was given the ticket from Emira and walked away from the two, feeling lighter than before. </p><p>“Now what is this all about?” Amity whispers to herself as she looks over the ticket. It was well made, the illustrations and colours merging well to catch the eye of anyone. However, something on the corner of the paper catches her attention. </p><p>“Wait, is that a-?” She brushed her finger along a small shape etched into the paper and she soon found herself feeling the now telltale rush of space flying past her and landing unceremoniously on a wooden seat. </p><p>“I really have to stop doing that,” She grumbles as she took in where she is. She was in a large open room filled with a multitude of seats akin to a stadium, but it was largely empty saved for her and a costumed figure walking up to her.</p><p>“We are currently in the middle of rehearsals,” The figure called out from far away, stepping closer and closer as they continue, “I am sorry, but I have to ask you to-,” The figure stops in front of her, their gold mask and colourful, puffy clothing catching her attention. </p><p>“Kid, is that you? What are you doing here?”</p><p>Amity raises an eyebrow, “I’m sorry but do I know you?”</p><p>“Oh right. Sorry, Kid, one sec.” The figure took of their mask, revealing a large mane of grey hair from behind their head and a toothy grin directed her.</p><p>“Eda?!” </p><p>“The one and only,” Eda proclaims with a bow, “Missed me, Kid?”</p><p>Amity let out a small laugh, “I guess so, I’ve just been busy practicing my Abomination magic lately.”</p><p>“Ugh, nerd stuff,” Eda let out a blanch, causing Amity to chuckle at the absurdity, “That’s why I went to showbiz, Kid. Much easier to entertain a crowd than to handle your kind of stuff.”</p><p>“Really?”</p><p>“Yep, you have no idea how easy it is to enchant people with my expertise.”</p><p>“Interesting,” Amity took a quick glance around at the empty area, “By the way, where’s Luz? I expected her to be around here if you are doing something this big.”</p><p>“Ooh, right,” Eda gave a slightly pained look, “Sorry, Kid, but Luz had to call it quits tonight. Still sick from last time, you see?”</p><p>“Oh. Well then, when you see her, can you tell her that I hope that she gets better? Don’t want her to feel too bad in missing out something like this.”</p><p>Eda chuckles, “Will do, Kid. I’ll tell her that you’re worried about her. Anything you want to do though? The show won’t be until much later and we still have loads of time.”</p><p>Amity bites the corner of her lip, “Actually, I am wondering if you know where Ms. Mora is.”</p><p>“Really, Kid? You want to practice more magic at a time like this? Haven’t you done enough already?”</p><p>“Something just came up during my training with Ms. Lilith,” Amity could have sworn that Eda’s form stiffened but she must have imagined it after the rush of events today, “And I need to see her for some guidance.”</p><p>With a small huff, Eda summons her staff and draws a portal from the air, “If you say so, Kid. By the way, Mora’s been acting a tad skittish since your last visit. Did you say something to her?”</p><p>“No, I don’t think so,” Amity lies through her teeth, averting her eyes so that she does not look at Eda directly. </p><p>“Okay then. Well, have fun, kiddo!”</p><p>“Yeah, yeah,” With a roll of her eyes, she hops through the portal and lands neatly near Mora’s abode. </p><p>“Ms. Mora!” She shouts in the gnarled forest, “It’s Amity! I need your help with something!”<br/>
The forest of eerily quiet, the wind still and the insects silent in their song. Amity ventured further into the forest, curious as to why Mora or even Lobos hasn’t appeared yet. </p><p>“Hello?” She shouts, “Ms. Mora? Lobos? Anyone there?”</p><p>A rustle of grass beside her catches her attention and she quickly rushed her way over.<br/>
“Ms. Mora? Is that you? It’s me, Amity! Something weird happened and I need your help with it!” She makes her way over, the thick branches and foliage revealing a shack under a canopy of branches.</p><p>“That’s weird.” Amity says to herself, “This isn’t where Mora has her home. Maybe this is another place they live or someone they know?”</p><p>Ignoring the feeling of trepidation and cautiousness, she walks up to the front door and knocks, “Hello? Anyone home?”</p><p>Silence answered her. </p><p>“Great, what do I do now?” A rustling of leaves catches her attention and walks toward the sound, leading her the side of the house.</p><p>“Is anyone- LOBOS!” She sees Lobos barely able to stand, the gelert covered in fresh wounds and his pristine brown coat stained with red blood. </p><p>“Lobos, what happened?” Amity barely was able to reach Lobos before the gelert collapsed, Amity panicking when she realized that Lobos was breathing shallowly. </p><p>“Oh no no no, what do I do?” Amity tries to pick up Lobos but the heavy weight of the gelery causes her to barely move him. </p><p>“Amity, is that you?” Amity snaps up and sees Mora rushing out of the forest covered in scratches and wounds. </p><p>“Ms. Mora, what happened to you and Lobos?!”</p><p>“We have no time, Ms. Blight. We must hurry or it may be too late. Quickly now, to the house.” Mora deftly carries Lobos with her arms and rushes the gelert inside the house with Amity following quickly. </p><p>Lobos was quickly placed on a large bed, the blood quickly turning the white sheets into crimson.</p><p>“Amity, I need you to watch over him and dress his wounds while I assemble the ingredients necessary for a salve for his wounds.” Mora was a whirlwind of action as she hurriedly gathered a mortar and pestle, and a satchel for gathering ingredients. </p><p>“Can’t you just use healing magic to heal his wounds?!”</p><p>“It won’t work, his body can’t respond to magic like that.”</p><p>“W-What!”</p><p>“I don’t have time to explain this, Amity. I need you to make sure that he doesn’t bleed out. Can you do that for me, Amity!” Amity made the mistake in looking at Mora’s eyes. They were filled with grief, worry, anxiety, and fear. </p><p>Amity gives a determined nod, “I will.”</p><p>“Thank you, Ms. Blight. I won’t be too long.” Mora rushes out the door, leaving Lobos to Amity. </p><p>“Come back soon,” Amity whispers, compressing Lobos’ wounds with the bandages given to her by Mora. </p><p>The bandages slowly turn from a crisp white to a lush red, and Amity is trying to ignore the sticky feeling of blood between her fingers in favour of keeping Lobos alive. </p><p>“C’mon, Lobos, stay with me,” Amity mutters as she presses down on the bandages, “I don’t know what caused this to you, but Mora won’t let you off like this. She’ll come back shortly, and you’ll be fine.</p><p>She can see Lobos one eye at her, his scarred one, and gives a low whine.</p><p>“I know that you are hurting but Mora can fix you right up, okay? Just wait a bit longer.”</p><p>However, something strange began to happen in the cabin with Amity and Lobos. </p><p>Amity can feel Lobos’ muscles begin to shift, startling Amity from her duty. She takes a step back to see Lobos change shape, his muscles convulsing and changing into a larger, witch-like form with his brown fur receding. Amity held her breath as in the place of Lobos, the gelert, was now a tall, nearly naked, brown haired witch with eyes a startling cobalt. Amity was thankful that somehow the person was covered from the waist below with the bushel of bandages Amity applied to Lobos’ wounds.</p><p>With his chest exposed, Amity recoiled at the damage covering it. A deep scar, far older than any she has see, was laced around his left should with a line leading to his chest. However, Amity stares in shock as she finds out where the scar line leaves. </p><p>It was a large, sunken, scarred hole on his left chest, just where the heart should be.<br/>
Amity feels herself grow cold when she realizes that this is what Mora’s Abomination emulated. </p><p>“Lobos?” She asks with caution, “Is that you?”</p><p>The man shuffles, grunting in pain as he sputters out a name, blood lining his lips as he gets it out. </p><p>“B-Belos. My name is Belos. W-Where is Kikimora? Where is she?”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>If this chapter was a mess to read, I apologize as I have been trying to relax from my exams and working on my other fic. Still, I hope you enjoy this chapter as a New Year's Eve gift and a belated Christmas gift.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Monster</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>But who’s to say that the monster is truly malevolent?</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>WARNING: This is chapter 8 and due to the posting barrage near New Year's, you may not have read ch7 so go back before it's too late and spoil yourself!</p>
<p>Now that's out of the way, welcome back and enjoy the chapter! Chapter's took a bit to write due to school starting back up but here we are! Enjoy!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>His voice was ragged, hoarse, and weak as if it were torn and remade anew with too many scars littering the surface. Even with through the soft warbles of pain and the thin line of blood dribbling down the side of his mouth, there was something in his voice that made her pay rapt attention to the man. The feeling that welled up from within the confines of her mind was something that she was well accustomed to at this point, but it gave her no end of trouble when it arose. </p>
<p>The feeling of being judged, of being held under immense scrutiny, of paying due respect. It was like her parents when they talk to her. But at the same time, it was not. </p>
<p>There was a tempered softness to his manner, a gentleness that gave way to the authoritative aura that exudes each time he spoke a word. His voice sounded genuine in his concern and there was no admonishment towards her question, only worry for someone that Amity has an inkling to who he was referring too. </p>
<p>“Y-Young Amity, please,” Belos uttered weakly towards her, the mentioning of her name bringing the full bearing of her focus. He tried to struggle more out of his bed but froze in pain, grumbling in pain as he slowly laid himself onto the bed once again. Amity quickly made her way back to her assigned duty as caretaker, Mora’s words repeating in her head as a mantra to reassure herself that she won’t be left alone with a dying witch. A soft groan draws her fretting towards the grimacing face of Belos, his eyes fluttering between sleep and awareness. </p>
<p>“Please t-tell me,” He starts again, his eyes closed with his breathing laboured, “Where is Kikimora?”</p>
<p>“Do you mean, Ms. Mora?” She asks as she cleans the small droplets of blood splattered along Belos’ bare chest. She tries to keep her panic at a minimum as Belos stares at her with his striking cobalt eyes, noticing that his right eye was dulled from a scar lining it, “Don’t worry, she should be here any moment. She is just getting the materials for the mixture needed for your treatment.”</p>
<p>“I see.” Belos visibly relaxes, letting out a long exhale. He brings an arm to wipe away the blood lining his lips and points to a small wooden cupboard on a nearby wall, “There is a small, purple ceramic jar in there. I need you to get it for me please, Young Amity.”</p>
<p>“What is it?” Amity asks as she makes her way towards the cupboard with swiftness in her step. She slightly winces at the creak of the wooden boards when she opens the boards but the beating of her rapid heart forces her to quickly scan for the specified item. Her eyes were then drawn past the clutter of cups and jars to a dust-covered jar slightly cracked and chipped from past use. Grabbing it tightly and holding it close to her chest as she makes her way back to Belos, she barely notes that what was once a rich purple has faded into a faint mauve. </p>
<p>“Just s-something to treat me until Mora returns,” Belos replies feebly, beckoning Amity to give it to him. As he gently grabs it from her, Belos removes the cork covering the opening of the jar and retrieves from inside a reddish green ball. With a grimace, he puts it into his mouth and swallows it with little difficulty. </p>
<p>“I must ask you though, Young Amity,” Amity looks in wonder as Belos straightens himself and his voice regains some semblance of strength. It seems that whatever that ball-like thing Belos ingested acts fast. He clears his throat before continuing, causing Amity to tense in anticipation, “Do you have any questions? I’m afraid that Mora may take some time to return. Even she can only do so much on her own. I also have no doubt that you are surprised.”</p>
<p>Amity’s mouth felt dry but that didn’t stop her from opening her mouth to speak, “What happened to you out there?! And Are you even Lobos or are you Belos?”</p>
<p>“I see,” Belos sighs tiredly as he closes his eyes in contemplation, “I expected as much. For your second question, we are one and the same, Young Amity. We are cursed to share an existence as an intertwined creature. Lobos is much as I as I am Lobos.”</p>
<p>Amity was taken aback, her eyes raised in surprise, “But how? Nothing like this ever happened on the Isles before. Even if something like a curse did this, there was nothing made to cause two creatures to bond permanently! The worst that would happen is that it causes the host to turn into a mindless beast!”</p>
<p>“Not in this age, Young Amity. We’ve been afflicted with a something not even the greatest of hexes or curses could possibly do.” Amity latches on to those words and draws a breath as her mind relays back to her training sessions with Mora and when she made the startling realization.  </p>
<p>“You’re from the Age of Emperors too, aren’t you? Like Ms. Mora?” </p>
<p>Belos gives a low, bitter chuckle, a hand placed on his stomach as he rumbles with mirth, “It seems that Kikimora was every bit as truthful when she says that you are a keen pupil.” Amity vaguely smiles in pride to hear the praise, but she stomps the enjoyment just as quickly as she must remain attentive. She still leans forward a bit to listen intently to the words of her charge, “But to answer you’re question, yes, I am from the Age of Emperors. However, this curse of mine was not made from anything that ancient time produced.”</p>
<p>“Really?” With the myths and legends surrounding the lost era, she somewhat expected some grandiose spell turning Belos into Lobos. She ponders slightly at the prospect, “Then what caused it, if you’re willing to share that is.”</p>
<p>The injured witch then released a remorseful sigh as he stares past Amity, as if he were seeing a ghost from an age long past. His eyes cloud over as his hands grip the mess of bandages like a lifeline, “It was a punishment for something I did long ago when I was young and foolish. I have still yet to atone for that mistake so here I continue this life.”</p>
<p>It was Amity’s turn to look downcast, pity and sorrow for Belos growing, “…I’m sorry if I brought up anything terrible, Mr. Belos. I didn’t mean to cause you any harm.”</p>
<p>“Now, Young Amity, there is nothing to be ashamed of. It was only natural to inquire something after seeing what happened.” Belos reassured, careful in his words as he navigates the mire of emotions, “As for you’re first question, I’m afraid we have to wait until Kikimora returns. It will be better for us if I relay it once.”</p>
<p>Amity perks up but deflates once she hears the answer. She feels a tinge of annoyance for the foreseeable wait, but she reminds herself that it is rude to forgo her patience that easily. Instead, she then focuses on something else to keep her mind preoccupied, “Why do you call Ms. Mora that name anyway? Is that her full name?” </p>
<p>“I suppose so,” Belos replies, a fond tone overtaking his sullen voice, “Kikimora was always adamant in her decision to change her name so that no one would recognize our past connection. The name must have been retained after we lived so long in isolation.” He then gestures to himself, “As for myself, I did not to change my name as being forced to live in a gelert with a separate identity has its own benefits.”</p>
<p>“What about the Age of Emperors? Can you tell me anything about that?” Her thirst for knowledge began to show once again for the chance to unearth lost lore related to the Isles past. Her eyes widen in excitement as she begins to imagine the possible information that could be revealed, a welcome distraction from the earlier mess. </p>
<p>However, Belos looked hesitant to reply to such a question. His mouth was pursed, and his eyebrows were furrowed with concern as he looked at Amity. He then closes his eyes, as if reliving a lost memory, before he opens his mouth to respond, “I am sorry, Young Amity, but I can tell you right now that there is a reason why there is little remaining vestiges of that bygone age.”</p>
<p>“Why is that Mr. Belos?”</p>
<p>“There are things in this world that shouldn’t be experienced again,” He states cryptically, “However, I can tell you that the age I grew up in was not as pristine as you make it out to be, Young Amity. Strife and chaos were a fairly common occurrence for the everyday witch back then. Make do with that information as you will.”</p>
<p>Amity gulped. She can already imagine the rampant bedlam of that time and with the way Belos said it, it was much worse that it seemed. </p>
<p>A rapid thudding from outside abruptly drew their attention to the door, the noise growing louder as Belos gave a low chuckle, “Brace yourself, Young Amity. You will be needed once more.”</p>
<p>Amity could not reply as the door swung open with a heavy crash, slamming into the wall with no tact. Inward strode Mora with an assortment of plants and herbs gathered in a large wicker basket on her back. She was breathing heavily, and her face was flushed with heat but there was no pause in her step as she made her way into the room. </p>
<p>“Ms. Blight, I’ve returned,” She announced loudly as she placed her ingredients to the side of the wall, the urgency in her voice returning in full force as she began conjuring tools into existence, “Come here, I need you to help me with making the salve.”</p>
<p>“Yes, Ms. Mora,” Amity answered without hesitation. She leaves Belos’ side and makes her way to Mora who was hastily preparing the ingredients and sorting them into piles. </p>
<p>“What do you need me to do?”</p>
<p>“Start with the berries and herbs,” Mora directs, taking a mortar and pestle and showing Amity what needs to be done, “I need you to form a paste while I tend to Lobos.”</p>
<p>“Come now, Kikimora, has your vision declined since we’ve last saw each other?”</p>
<p>“Sir Belos!” Mora abruptly rushes towards Belos, leaving Amity to her own duties. Nevertheless, Amity did not neglect to catch the unusual amount of emotion laid into Mora’s face and voice as the demon began talking to the injured witch.</p>
<p>“It’s been far too long since we’ve last seen each other,” Mora says as she carefully begins checking Belos for any further injuries. Yet, her eyebrows furrow when she sees the areas where there should be wounds are now crusted over and no longer bleeding.</p>
<p>“Indeed, it has,” Answers Belos, nostalgia filling his voice as he lays down, “Any more injuries that I should be aware of?”</p>
<p>“None whatsoever,” She answers, checking once again past the bloodied bandages only to find a crusted wound, “I shouldn’t have been gone that long for the wounds to be like this. Tell me, what did you do?”</p>
<p>“Why do you believe that I have done something wrong?” Belos questions as Mora eyes him with scrutiny. Amity was wise to continue her work in silence, but she keeps her ears open to the rest of the conversation. </p>
<p>“I’ve known you for long enough when you are hiding something, my liege.” Amity perks up at the last word. Liege. An odd word. She racks her for the meaning, but nothing clicks in her mind. She then shrugs, continuing with her task as she adds in another handful of berries, but she could not escape the feeling that it was important. </p>
<p>“Sir Belos, what is this doing here?” At the accusing tone, Amity turns around and she gulps when she sees Mora holding the purple ceramic jar that Belos told her to get. Though, where Amity was worried, Belos was calm in the face of annoyance as he carefully inspected the jar with his eyes.</p>
<p>“The panacea?” Belos inquires, his voice flat but a hint of mirth lay behind the veil, “I do believe that you already know why it is here, Kikimora.”</p>
<p>Mora sighs with exasperation, “That explains why the lacerations from Lobos were mended like that. You know you can’t keep taking these, Sir Belos. You know what the side effects would do to you.”</p>
<p>“I know,” Belos replies gently, “But if I hadn’t, I would be in a much worse condition at this very moment.” </p>
<p>“I know,” Mora echoes sincerely, “I know. I’m grateful that you are okay. Now let’s get you fixed up. Ms. Blight, have you finished with the mixture?”</p>
<p>“I think so,” Amity pipis up once she gives one final mash into the soft mush of herbs and berries. The process was familiar when she was handcrafting her Abomination mixtures, but she was not as well versed in making healing tonics like what she presumes to be holding. Thank the Titan that Mora was here to show here how it was done. </p>
<p>“Good. Bring it here so we can begin.” Amity briskly walks over and hands over the mixture to Mora. Mora gives an appreciative hum as she gives the mixture a onceover, nodding at eh state of the mixture.</p>
<p>“Excellent work, Ms. Blight. Now, watch carefully as I apply the salve,” Mora dips her talons into the salve, “Consider this an impromptu lesson in your studies, Ms. Blight. It is not uncommon for a witch to find themselves injured and without their magic in the wilds.” Amity nods, absorbing every word that Mora says. </p>
<p>“The salve that you’ve made was with ingredients common in overgrown forests. Pay attention now, I will only say this once.” Mora then begins to regale Amity about the various components of the salve and Amity is itching to write it down. Belos chimes in as well at times past the hisses of discomfort after each appliance of the paste. </p>
<p>Once the initial wave panic wore itself away from Amity, things began to feel calm and in control. Amity even learned how to bandage someone up now from Mora’s demonstration with Belos even if the man was still muttering words in discomfort. </p>
<p>Then, Mora began saying something that sounded like gibberish to Amity, a string of sounds and syllables that were no less foreign to her. With the way Mora was focused at the task she was doing, Amity thinks that Mora was just muttering instructions to herself to keep herself calm. Yet, when Belos began speaking in the same strange manner as Mora, Amity soon realized that they were talking in a different language, one that must be extinct by now. </p>
<p>Amity soon found herself done with what she was tasked to do by Mora and quietly took a few steps back, observing the way Mora was interacting with Belos. They were still conversing in what Amity can presume to be an ancient language and she could tell that behind the fretting and stern words exchanged, that they were close. Perhaps the countless passage of time does that to people but there was no denying that they both cared for each other. </p>
<p>It was odd. There is a small feeling in her chest that was burning quietly when she looks at the kind words between the two. It was different than the time when she was Willow. It was certainly different to the feeling she gets when she was with Eda and Luz. It was like a gentle candle flame burning delicately in the waning light of the day. Amity gives a small huff, imagining a small fantasy of what could have happened if she was raised by these two, one a demon herbalist and the other an ancient witch.  </p>
<p>A memory of her parents flashes in her, their admonishment and disdain when she was injured when practicing was faint, but it hurt all the same. She closes her eyes tightly to will it away, her parent’s voices serving burning reminder of what she has been through. </p>
<p>“Amity, are you alright?” Amity opened her eyes quickly to find Mora looking at her with concern. Belos, too, was watching, his blue eyes filled with sympathy. </p>
<p>“I’m fine,” Amity chokes out, keeping a strong face in the rising tide of emotion, “Why do you ask? I thought that we were helping Belos, not me.”</p>
<p>“You just looked troubled, Ms. Blight. I was just concerned.” Mora puts down the mortar holding the last of the salve down to Belos’ bedside and pulls a chair to sit, “Would you like to sit down?”</p>
<p>“No, I’m okay. Thank you though, Ms. Mora.” Amity leans along the wooden walls of the cabin while Mora takes a seat upon the offered chair. Amity takes a breath and crosses her arms, making herself comfortable before she turns her attention to Belos, “So…, what exactly caused all this? You’ve said before that you would mention whatever hurt you once Ms. Mora returns and those heavy wounds mean it must have been something big,” Amity gives a small sigh and pinches the bridge of her nose, “It better not be some type of slitherbeast as I am still trying to internalize that the gelert I've known for a while is actually a witch from an ancient time. Not to forget to mention that Mora is also actually a part of this age.”</p>
<p>“So aptly put,” Belos says flatly, “But not without its own merit. You are correct in your assumptions that something vicious hurt me so, but it was nothing like the slitherbeast that you’ve mentioned. Unfortunately, it was something far more distressing.”</p>
<p>“What is it?” Amity grips tightly the cloth of her shirt, imagining already another great beast in her mind, “What hurt you?”</p>
<p>“I’m afraid that we already know the answer to that question,” Belos turns to look at Mora remorsefully while Amity remains confused.</p>
<p>“Has it already progressed that fast?” Mora asks Belos worriedly, the unease evident in the way that she was leaning towards Belos, “I thought that the sickness wouldn’t exhibit any of this?”</p>
<p><em>‘Sickness?’</em> Amity thinks, her interest piqued, <em>‘Who are they referring to?’</em></p>
<p>“I’m afraid that this is no jest, Kikimora,” Belos sits up from his makeshift bed and looks directly at Amity, “I suggest that you sit down, Young Amity, because I am afraid you are now an unwilling contender in all this.</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <em>GGGGRRRWWWAAAAARRGGGHH!</em>
</p>
<p>A bestial cry pierces the shroud of the forest, its shrill wail echoing loudly under the glowing red sky. From every corner of the forest, creatures of all shapes and sizes flee their homes with fear in their hearts, their primal instinct flaring that something was there. Watching. Prowling. Claiming. No animal was foolish enough to stay to challenge such dominance of the wilds, so they leave to survive another day and to someday return. </p>
<p>Shame that two venturers dare to challenge such bravado. One witch and one demon, cloaked under a silence spell and equipped with satchels filled with full bottles, trek carefully into the woods like a watchful hunter stalking its prey. Armed with only their wits, magic, and various handcrafted potions and elixirs, they continue to march ever closer to the unknown beast. </p>
<p>
  <em>GRAGGHHH!</em>
</p>
<p>The green-haired witch shuts her eyes and covers her ears in pain, the beast’s cries sounding like shattered glass. In her lapse of pain and inattentiveness, she nearly finds herself tripping over the gnarled roots of the aging system of trees. She catches herself just in time to brush the tip of her nose on the dirtied bark. </p>
<p>“Stay focused, Ms. Blight,” The cloaked demon says, maintaining her pace and forcing the witch to scramble to catch up, “Any mistake in our approach will lead to a fate worse than what fell upon both Lobos and Belos.”</p>
<p>“Yes, Ms. Mora. It won’t happen again,” The young witch, Amity, says quietly as she carefully maneuvers through the overgrowth. Unlike Mora who weaves through the vegetation like a fish in water, Amity was catching herself being tugged or struck by outlying plants or branches, muttering a small curse in her head for each hit. </p>
<p>
  <em>GRRAAGGWWAGH!</em>
</p>
<p>The roars were getting louder with each step they take. Amity’s heart was pounding, her grip on the brown strap of the satchel laid across her chest slick with sweat and her breathing laboured with a barely restrained dread. She takes solace in the fact that Mora leads onwards in front of her with a calm and controlling visage, as if this were nothing.</p>
<p>“We are getting close, Ms. Blight,” Mora digs through her satchel and brings out a round flask filled with a swirling, orange liquid, “Are you ready?”</p>
<p>Amity gulps and nods, “Yes. At least, I hope so.” She digs through her satchel and brings out a round flask like Mora but this time, this bottle was filled with a light blue liquid, “I hope this works.”</p>
<p>“It shall. If it won’t, we won’t be the only ones facing the consequences.” With a heavy heart and a tense grip on the round flask, Amity sets out with Mora to deal with the threat roaming around the woods. </p>
<p><em>‘Take heart, Young Amity, to not let the beast charge at you,’</em> Belos’ warning echoes in her mind as she moves past another grove, <em>‘It may not look like it, but it has enough strength to render trees into kindling.’</em></p>
<p><em>'I also suggest avoiding being struck by its claws,’</em> Amity rubs her hand over several slash marks deeply engraved onto both wood and stone, <em>‘I was lucky to have only been grazed. Nevertheless, unless you want to be gouged out by talons the size as long as knives, please dodge them.’</em></p>
<p><em>‘Wait, if this creature was too dangerous for you to even handle, what makes you think that I can do this with Mora?’</em> Amity takes a few steadying breaths to calm herself, thumbing the dried leather of the satchel to keep herself grounded. There were no cries from the creature for the past few minutes and she can feel the silence starting to suffocate her. She was beginning to feel the fear.</p>
<p><em>‘Last time, I was…careless. I let my guard done before I could defend myself or stop it. But now we know what to do to stop it before it can go on a rampage.’</em> Her grip on her flask tightens, the sloshing of the liquid providing some type of comfort in the silence. She takes another deep breath and takes a step forward to her fate.</p>
<p><em>‘Both Kikimora and I have prepared for this moment, something that we wish that we didn’t have to do. In your satchel, Young Amity, are sleeping potions, the ones with the blue liquid in them. Toss the flask onto the ground to cause a reaction, releasing a gas potent enough to knock out the largest of beasts. You also have other potions at your disposal if things go awry and when you can’t cast a magic circle in time.’</em> Amity checks her satchel for what feels like the tenth time in the past hour. Flasks filled with a variety of colourful liquids fill her visage. There were mostly the sleeping flasks but there were black flasks for smokescreens and green flasks for summoning vines to restrain the creature. </p>
<p>
  <em>‘Hey, I don’t see that yellow one Ms. Mora has in my satchel. What is it and is it really okay for me to not have it with me?’</em>
</p>
<p><em>‘Don’t worry, Ms. Blight, it is nothing to concern yourself with,’</em> Mora beckons Amity closer, her face blank with a hard focus and quickening her step, <em>‘Its something that I’ve resolved myself to do and I don’t want you to have the burden to doing it.’</em></p>
<p><em>‘How will I recognize the creature though?’</em> Mora pauses in her step before a thick covering of leaves and branches, raising a hand to stop Amity to come any closer and to wait just behind her, <em>‘You two keep telling me what to avoid and how to stop it but you haven’t really told me what it looks like.’</em></p>
<p><em>‘I can assure you that it won’t be hard to recognize,’</em> Carefully, Mora moves the overgrowth in front of her to the side and Amity’s heart leaps to her throat, <em>‘It’s not something that you would think to live in a forest after all.’</em></p>
<p>There it was in front of them, the beast that injured Belos and cleared the entire forest with it’s cries. Surrounded by broken trees and unearthed ground, the beast was laying on the ground as if it were resting. Belos’ words rang true, it was something that wouldn’t look like it would live in this cramped forest. At first glance, it looked chimeric in nature, a jumble of creature that looked stitched together. Its large, furred mass rose and fell with each breath and its yellow talons relaxed and lying on top of the ground. Its face was covered by its feathery wings, but Amity can both see the sharp teeth jutting from its maw and the dotting of scales along its wings and body. Its tail was also akin to a viper, scaled and swishing left and right infrequently during its sleep.</p>
<p>“Ready?” Turning around carefully, Mora whispers to Amity. Amity nods, “Good. On one, throw as many of the sleeping potions at the creature. Understood?” Amity answers with a determined nod and taking as many of sleeping potions that she can fit in her hands.</p>
<p>“Alright, on my count,” Mora quietly moves to closer with Amity following. Mora then takes with her other hand a sleeping potion and raises it to throw.</p>
<p>“3.” The beast stirs, still in its sleepy daze and giving a low grumble of content. </p>
<p>“2.” <em>SNAP!</em> Amity’s stomach flips when she looks down and sees a couple of broken twigs beside her shoes. The beast gives a series of broken snorts and it’s wings begin to move. </p>
<p>“1!” Amity tosses the potions at the cue, the hymn of breaking glass filling the clearing with a growing blue cloud accompanying the noise. The beast finally sits up from its slumber, shaking unsteadily as it retracts its wings, revealing a monstrous, feline-like head in all its glory.</p>
<p>
  <em>GGGRRRAAWH!</em>
</p>
<p>Beading brown eyes stare into Amity and she feels herself freeze, her muscles locking in place as the creature tenses.</p>
<p>“Amity, move!” The creature charges with mouth agape and claws outstretched. Amity’s closes her eyes, and she feels something crash onto her side, knocking her aside and drawing out her breath. </p>
<p>“Amity, are you alright?” Amity hesitantly raises one eye and sees Mora looking down at her, concern plain as day.</p>
<p>“I-I’m not dead?” Amity says breathily, the world slightly spinning as she tries to get up. </p>
<p>“No but we will be if we don’t restrain the creature now.” Amity fully refocuses and gets back on her feet. She sees the creature dazed, barely able to prop itself from where it crashed and keeping itself from falling to the ground. She promptly takes out two flasks, one a sleeping potion and another that will conjure vines, and throws it without hesitation. </p>
<p>In a cloud of green and blue, the beast was enveloped in a veil of sleeping gas and a tangle of vines pinning the beast to the ground. The beast with its remaining strength thrashed against the vines, screaming with guttural shrieks and yells. Yet, its efforts were in vain as the large saturation of sleeping gas took its toll, weakening every blow against the sturdy vines. Soon enough, the beast was asleep, slumped on the ground with no signs of waking up soon.</p>
<p>“It’s over?” Amity carefully walks towards the beast, raising at the ready one sleeping potion, “That seemed too easy.”</p>
<p>“We were lucky,” Mora called out, taking a place beside Amity with the golden liquid-filled flask in hand, “If it wasn’t already trying to rest before, we would have had a greater fight ahead of us.”</p>
<p>“Thank the Titan for that,” Amity says gratefully, nearly collapsing to her knees as all the energy she had disappeared in seconds, “So, are you going to use that elixir now? The things finally asleep.” </p>
<p>“Yes, I will,” Mora says oddly clipped. The demon walks towards the beast and stops in front of its head, causing Amity to become wary of what is to come next. Soon enough, Mora does not shatter the bottle in front of the beast but rather uncorks it. She then lifts the sleeping beast’s jaw open and raises the flask to its open mouth, tilting it so that the golden liquid can flow through. </p>
<p>“I’m sorry, Amity, for what you are about to see.” Amity looks at Mora, puzzled as to why she would feel sorry for the rampaging beast and for why Mora would say that so quietly. However, before she can ask, the form of the beast began to shrink and shift, slowly revealing someone that leaves Amity’s mouth dry and her mind blank.</p>
<p>Hesitantly, she takes a step forward, not believing in what she was seeing. She then another step. And another. And another until she was in front of the shifted, sleeping creature. She crouches down carefully, not knowing what to do with this revelation.</p>
<p>
  <em>‘Young Amity, know that whatever happens at the end of this, know that it wasn’t your fault.’</em>
</p>
<p>“Luz?”</p>
<hr/>
<p>“Welcome one and all for the spectacle of the lifetime!”</p>
<p>“Ngh…” A low grumble of discontent was answered with the thunderous roars of an excited crowd. With a yawn and a small stretch, the figure blearily opens their eyes. </p>
<p>“W-What’s happening?” The figure says tiredly, trying to rub the sleep from their brown eyes. </p>
<p>“Luz, you’re okay!” A voice beside her cried out, causing Luz to fully awaken. Out of habit, she immediately goes for her hood to put on but let’s out a breath when she realizes that it was already on, covering her ears. She then turns towards whoever decided to call out her name and immediately brightens as to who it was.</p>
<p>“Amity!” Luz shouts in excitement, giving the green-haired witch a hug, “It’s good to see you!”</p>
<p>“Its nice to see you too, Luz,” Amity says warmly, returning the embrace. Amity shortly let’s go and gives Luz a look, “You fell asleep you know.”</p>
<p>“I did?” Luz looks at Amity curiously before looking out in front of her and gasping, her eyes bulging out of their sockets, “I did! Oh man, Eda is going to kill me! I was supposed to help with the show tonight! C’mon,” Luz lunges and grabs Amity’s hand, trying, and failing, to pull the girl, “I have to get ready before the show begins!” </p>
<p>“Luz, calm down!” Said girl stops in her tracks and gives Amity a puzzled look, silently asking her to explain, “Eda already knows as I told her what happened, so she told me to tell you to sit this on out. Here,” Amity then gives Luz a decorative mask, “She also told me that you wouldn’t want to miss the show. Now, put it on or else this secretive show will have one less secret. We can’t be recognized, right?”</p>
<p>“Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!” Luz delightfully puts on her mask with a bright smile and grabs for Amity’s hand, “C’mon! We’re going to be late!”</p>
<p>Too bad for Luz that Amity put on her mask before she pulled the green-haired witch away.</p>
<p>If she was quick enough, she would have seen Amity look at her with sadness and sorrow.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Feel free to yell, criticize, or just tell me what you liked about the chapter as it feels great to know what you guys feel about the story. </p>
<p>Anyways, see you guys next time!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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